


I Don't Date Cheerios

by TeddysHoney



Series: In Every Lifetime [9]
Category: Glee
Genre: Bad Boy Blaine Anderson, Blow Jobs, Cheerio Kurt Hummel, Explicit Language, Grease References, Hand Jobs, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Mild D/S elements, Minor Character Death, Minor Illicit Drug And Alcohol Use, Non-Graphic Violence, Songfic, Soul Bond, Soulmarks, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 18:53:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 66,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25580137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeddysHoney/pseuds/TeddysHoney
Summary: Blaine, leader of the McKinley High bad boys is forced to join a club, and he winds up singing in front of the Glee Club. Who else would be in the audience besides Cheerio Kurt? Kurt's never been a fan of Blaine, but that's all about to change...Based on this Tumblr post: https://teddyshoney.tumblr.com/post/190285546351/teddyshoney-jaci3-curlyraconteur-au
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel, Burt Hummel/Kurt's Mother, Mike Chang/Tina Cohen-Chang, Rachel Berry/Finn Hudson, Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce
Series: In Every Lifetime [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1591516
Comments: 76
Kudos: 103
Collections: Glee Potluck Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the story I wrote for the Glee Potluck Big Bang. It's been...an interesting time getting to the end, but here it is! I want to thank my wonderful beta, Jayhawk-Writes for all of her amazing, tireless work on this story. You're an amazing person, and I love you! I also want to thank my fantastic artist, @levanillee on Tumblr, for my awesome artwork! I love it!!!
> 
> This story is for @jaci3 and @tahtah678 on Tumblr. They've been passing the above gifs around for quite some time, waiting for someone to write this story. I hope you like it!

“ Blaine Anderson?” Principal Figgins called, opening the inner door to his office. “Come in here, please.”

Blaine sighed, getting up from his spot in one of the office chairs. It was always the same old thing. He'd get caught by a teacher breaking some school rule, and he'd get sent to the principal. Then, the principal would make up something about how he needed to see better from him, Blaine would get a detention, and he'd be on his way again. He honestly didn't even know why Figgins bothered. Why not just give him the detention and get it over with?

“ So, Mr. Anderson,” Figgins said, sitting down heavily in his chair and rolling toward his desk, “Mr. Schue sent you here for smoking in the boys locker room again. Is this true?”

“ Yeah.” Blaine shrugged. “I dunno what the big deal is.”

“ The big deal, Mr. Anderson, is that you have become quite the bad boy, and that behavior will not stand.”

Blaine raised an eyebrow at that. That's not how these conversations usually started. He straightened his jacket, crossing his legs to better show off his extra-tight black jeans. He was a badass, and everyone at this school knew it. Including the principal. Everything was going to be fine.

“ So,” Figgins went on, “we have to do something about that. I have talked to the counselor, Miss Emma Pillsbury, and the head of the glee club, Mr. Will Schuester, about you, and they think they have found a solution that is pleasing to all.” He flashed the miscreant behind his desk a smile. Then, he called, “Donna, can you get Mr. Schuester and Miss Pillsbury, please.”

A muffled, “Of course, sir,” came through the phone speaker.

“ Why are you bringing them in here?” Blaine asked. “You can just give me my detention, and we'll forget this ever happened.”

“ I'm afraid that won't work this time,” Figgins said, looking at something on his desk. Then, the principal turned back to Blaine who was shifting uncomfortably in his seat at the response. “Do you know that there are rules in this school?” he asked.

“ Who cares about the rules?” Blaine asked, playing it cool. He sat back in his chair, throwing his arms over the back of it, causing his leather jacket to fall open, revealing a white, ribbed tank beneath. The scrawly edge of his soulmark was just visible against the sharp jut of his right collarbone. “Rules are for sissies and weaklings.”

Just before Figgins could respond, Schue and Emma walked into his office. “Ah,” the principal said instead, smiling at the newcomers. “Mr. Schuester, Miss Pillsbury, welcome. This is our resident bad boy, Mr. Anderson.”

Schue and Emma exchanged a quick glance. They knew who he was. “We know,” Schue said, stepping up beside the right side of Figgins desk and turning to face Blaine. “We want to help you change your behavior, Blaine,” he said, giving him a sympathetic look. “We know that school is hard for you, but Emma and I want to make it easier for you and maybe help you to make some new friends in the process.”

“ I don't need help. Thanks,” Blaine said, rising from his seat. “My friends are fine. I'll be in detention after school tonight. See you.” He tried to walk toward the door, but Schuester put a hand against his chest, stopping him.

“ Sit down,” Figgins demanded.

“ Do you know you've been in trouble enough that you could be expelled?” Schue asked as Blaine sank slowly back into his seat. It was clear that they needed to take a new approach to Blaine's behavior problems, something more direct. “You could be kicked out of school, Blaine, and then what would you do? You need your education.”

“ I don't need to be here,” Blaine said, raising his voice a little. This was starting to piss him off. Why did any of these people act like they cared about him? They never had before. “I can work on bikes. I don't need English and history to do that.”

“ You have to go to college or a trade program to get a mechanics degree to work on motorcycles,” Schue said. “No one is going to bring their vehicle to a guy without a certificate. And to get a certificate, you have to graduate high school. You do need English and history. And, you need to listen to what Ms. Pillsbury has to say.”

“ Thank you, Will,” the petite counselor said, stepping up to the left side of Figgins’ desk. “We think it would be a good idea if you joined a school club,” she said.

“ I don't need to join any club!” Blaine yelled, standing again. “I don't need any of this shit. You guys don't care about any of this, so you can quit pretending you do!”

“ There are many different types of clubs at this school,” Emma went on as if Blaine hadn't just shouted at them. “There's the debate club, the celibacy club, the band, the Cheerios. Oh, and Mr. Schue's glee club. You could join any of them. I think you'd do great in the glee club.” She tried to pass something to Blaine, but he wasn't paying attention to her. He was looking at Figgins.

“ I'm not joining a club,” Blaine insisted. “I don't want to do any of that crap. It all sounds boring and stupid.” The principal was a pushover. If anyone was going to give in, it would be him.

“ Unfortunately, I don't think that's one of your choices, Blaine,” Schue said before Figgins had a chance to say anything. “If you don't join a club, you're going to be expelled.”

Figgins nodded. “That's right.”

Blaine swallowed hard, sitting back down. Expelled? He couldn't be expelled. As much as he hated sitting in class, Schue had a point; he did have to finish high school so he could get a mechanics certificate. And, he wanted to finish high school, if for no other reason than to prove to his father that he could be something. He clenched his fists at the thought of his father laughing at him for failing at yet another thing. He couldn't take the humiliation. But, he wasn't going to be forced into one of those stupid clubs. Blaine Anderson wasn't forced to do anything. Ever.

“ I don't want to join a club,” he said with finality. “I'll just clean out my locker and get out of here.” He started toward the door again.

“ Sit down!” Figgins roared again, this time slamming his palm against his desk top. “You're joining a club! My word is final!”

Blaine sat back down, stomping his riding boots against the floor.

“ We know this isn't what you wanted, Blaine,” Schuester said as if he was trying to make this whole situation better. “But, joining a club will help you make some new friends, friends that will encourage you to do the things you're good at instead of the things you know you shouldn't do.”

“ I have friends,” Blaine growled. Who was this teacher to tell him that his friends weren't worth a damn?

“ Friends that try to influence you to break the rules. The kids in my glee club would love to have you. I know that you're an amazing singer, Blaine,” Schue added. “I've heard you singing behind the bleachers at the football games. You have a real talent.”

“ The celibacy kids would be happy to have you, too,” Emma added. “They're committed to saying no to sex and keeping their hands above the equator! U-unless they're a girl. Then, it's above the shoulders!” She flashed Blaine her best smile. “Here.” She handed him a pamphlet that read, “When you're the school's resident bad boy...”

Blaine glanced at it long enough to read the headline then tossed it onto Figgins' desk. He sighed heavily. If there was no way out of this right now, he'd make a way out of it later. “If I join this glee club,” he began, not looking at anyone, “do I get to pick what songs I sing?”

“ As long as they go with the lesson for the week, yeah,” Schue replied. “This week, we're doing rock legends.”

“ Fine. I'm in.” Blaine said. “Will that make everybody happy?”

“ It's not us that have to be happy. It's you,” Schue replied.

“ You can't make me happy.” Blaine rose and sauntered toward the door.

“ Be in the choir room after school. We start rehearsal at 3:30.”

“ Yeah,” Blaine threw over his shoulder as he headed out the door.

“ Dude, you okay?” Puckerman asked, meeting his friend outside the door. The hallway was packed with kids on their way to their next class. There was only one more period before school was out for the week. It was Monday, and everyone was happy to be so close to heading home; it had already been a long week, and they still had four more days to go.

“ Yeah?” Blaine looked at his friend, puzzled. “Why wouldn't I be?”

“ You were in there for a long time. Figgins usually doesn't have too much to say.” Puck jostled him with his shoulder. “Just checkin' on you, man.”

“ Routine visit,” Blaine assured him.

“ Detention after last period?” Puck asked.

“ Yeah.”

“ You goin' to geometry?”

“ Do I ever?”

“ Right on. See you out by the football field. Later.” Puck took off toward the school's south exit while Blaine continued walking toward his locker. There was no reason anyone needed to find out about his little stint in the glee club. He'd go in there, sing a few songs, break a few rules, and Schue would kick him out before the week was over. That would prove to everyone that their little experiment was a waste of time.

After dropping a few books off at his locker, he headed toward the locker room. He needed to pick the perfect song to sing in glee that afternoon that would knock those dumbass choir kids' socks off.


	2. Chapter 2

“Oh, my God, Kurt,” Brittany said as they walked into Glee that afternoon. “You were ah-mazing at Cheerios practice today. Coach Sylvester definitely picked the right song!”

Kurt couldn’t help the grin that took over his face. “Thanks, Brit,” he said to his best friend as he took his seat at the front of the choir room. She was right. Coach Sylvester had picked an awesome song for their competition piece, and featuring Kurt as the lead singer wasn’t a bad idea either. He was happy to finally be part of a group that appreciated his contributions. Glee tended to only shine a light on a select few, and he wasn’t one of them. Thankfully, there was no Rachel Berry, the self-proclaimed star and leader of Glee, on the Cheerios. Each member was an integral part of the team.

“Okay, class,” Mr. Schue said loudly as he walked into the classroom. 

The chatter among the students instantly ceased, and, as usual, Rachel’s hand flew immediately into the air. “Mr. Schue?” she called, waving her hand. “There’s something I nee--”

“Not now, Rachel.” Mr. Schue brushed her off, heading straight for his whiteboard. “Something really important is happening today, but first, I want to congratulate all of you on a job well done so far this week. I gave you the assignment of singing songs by rock legends, and you guys have delivered. So, I think you should all give yourselves a hand. You guys are amazing.”

The class began to clap for themselves and a job well done but were rudely interrupted by none other than the attention-seeking diva herself.

“Thank you!” Rachel cried, jumping out of her seat and flouncing to the front of the room to stand next to Schue. “Thank you. I know that my rendition of Janis Joplin’s  _ Piece of My Heart _ as a stripped-down acoustic piece with my boyfriend accompanying me on drums was brilliant, but we have more important news to talk about. The school musical. Mr. Schue,” she said, turning toward the man with her hands on her hips, “has yet to choose a production for us, and if we want this show to be a success, I need to know what my part is going to be so I can have my songs in perfect order for our first rehearsal.”

A collective sigh swept through the room, and the entire class yelled, “Shut up, Rachel!”

The girl turned with a scowl to look at her teacher, expecting him to reprimand the class which had so clearly hurt her feelings.

“Rachel, have a seat,” Schue said instead. “I know you are all eager to find out what we’re doing for the school musical this year, and I’m working hard to pick a show that will fit our class's skills. For right now, though, we have other business to take care of. We,” he paused for effect, “are getting a new glee member.”

A ripple of excitement went through the room. “Who is it, Mr. Schue?” Rachel asked, bouncing up and down.

“Sit down, Rachel” Schue ordered, motioning toward her chair. “Our newest member is...Blaine Anderson!”

The excitement that had filled the room just moments ago completely dissipated as a loud “Hit it!” came from the hallway. 

One of the band members sprinted out of Schue’s office and slid onto the piano bench, playing the opening chords to Queen’s  _ Don’t Stop Me Now _ . Blaine strutted into the classroom from the hallway, dressed like Freddie Mercury. He wore a simple black, leather, military-style hat with a studded, black leather coat, a ribbed white tank top, black leather pants, and some riding boots. He strode to the front of the room and stood with his hands on his hips as he waited to sing his first line. When he opened his mouth and sang his first note, Kurt audibly gasped, grabbing at his collar.

“ _ Tonight, I'm gonna have myself a real good time _

_ I feel alive… _ ”

As he sang “alive,” Blaine tilted his head back, throwing his arms wide. His eyes closed; he seemed to already be thoroughly into the song.

“... _ and the world I'll turn it inside out, yeah _

_ And floating around in ecstasy _

_ So don't stop me now don't stop me” _

The piano began to pick up the pace, and the drums came in. Blaine came back to the present, opening his eyes and looking at the class with determination as his shoulders began to dip in time to the music. 

_ “'Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time” _

Suddenly, Blaine struck a dramatic pose, legs splayed wide, arm pointed straight to the ceiling as the band kid at the piano kicked the bench out from beneath himself, standing up to pound at the keys. 

Kurt couldn’t help himself. His fingers continued to play with the collar of his Cheerios uniform, rubbing at the seam of the collar as he bit his lip, his eyes growing wide. Blaine Anderson, the resident McKinley High bad boy and trouble maker, was dancing in front of the classroom, and he looked divine. Kurt could already feel the blush in his cheeks as he watched Blaine prancing around.

_ “I'm a shooting star, leaping through the sky _

_ Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity” _

Raising up on his toes, Blaine began to bounce to the beat of the song as he looked at the kids in front of them.  _ I’m so damn impressive, _ he thought to himself.  _ Look at that kid. _ He let his gaze wander over to the male Cheerio sitting to the right of the crowd of kids. Blaine knew exactly who he was, but he’d never tell anyone how he knew.  _ He’s clutching his hand to his chest like a damn little prude _ , Blaine thought to himself, grinning as he continued to sing.  _ I’ll knock his pants off with this _ .

At a quick pace, Blaine moved across the room on his toes, standing right in front of Kurt. He put on his best rock ‘n’ roll face and bent his knees, bending backward and rolling his hips. His hat fell off of his head, and he scooped it up, tossing it expertly onto Kurt’s lap as he moved to the other side of the room.

_ “I'm a racing car, passing by like Lady Godiva _

_ I'm gonna go, go, go _

_ There's no stopping me” _

Kurt thought he was going to faint. When Blaine had danced in front of him, Kurt couldn’t take his eyes off of him, and that pelvic roll had sent his blood racing to all the wrong places.  _ No. No! Stop it _ , he’d yelled in his head, both at Blaine and himself.  _ Not here. Not here! _ Now, he was watching the boy as he moved on the other side of the room, doing the same dance in front of Rachel who was grinning a snot-nose grin like she was something special.

_ “I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah _

_ Two hundred degrees _

_ That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit _

_ I'm traveling at the speed of light _

_ I wanna make a supersonic man out of you” _

Blaine began clapping, moving away from the strangely dressed girl he'd just danced for, and he made eye contact with each person, daring them not to clap. Then, to his surprise, they began to chant.

_ "Don't stop me, _

_ Don't stop me, _

_ Don't stop me, _

_ Hey, hey, hey!" _

Everyone was clapping, but Kurt couldn't move. He was stuck, watching every move Blaine made as if he'd never seen him before. That wasn't true. He had seen Blaine Anderson before, and he'd been none too impressed. Blaine had been smoking out behind the school with one of the other delinquents he hung around with while others in their group harassed a kid for money. Kurt had wanted to stop them, but he was afraid of them, truth be told. Sure, he thought that Blaine might be the only other gay kid at the school, even though he definitely was not out of the closet, but Kurt had sworn then that he'd never willingly interact with Blaine. Never. Not in a million years. He somehow didn't remember that promise right now. 

_ "Don't stop me, _

_ Don't stop me. _

_ Ooh, ooh, ooh! _

_ Don't stop me, _

_ Don't stop me, _

_ Wanna have a good time, good time! _

_ Yeah!" _

The band kid broke into a guitar solo, and Blaine slunk toward him, smoothing his hair down with both hands.

It was the sexiest thing Kurt Hummel had ever seen, and every fiber of his being was responding accordingly.

Blaine leaned against the guitarist, pretending to play air guitar. He knew all the kids were getting into his performance, but he tried to keep his distant, superior air about him. He didn't actually want to be liked by anyone in this club of singing weirdos. He just had to survive it until Schue kicked him out.

Blaine moved to the other side of the guitarist, still strumming away at his air guitar, eyes closed. Momentarily, he cracked an eye to see what the Cheerio kid was doing, hiding his grin when he saw that he was staring. What he was going to do next would keep his little Cheerio heart beating a hundred miles an hour. 

_ “I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah _

_ Two hundred degrees _

_ That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit" _

Blaine returned to the middle of the classroom as he sang, dropping to his knees and spreading them wide as he raised his arms in the air and leaned back, giving Kurt a full view of his toned body.

Kurt bit his lip as he sucked in a breath, his eyes wandering over Blaine's biceps, down his chiseled chest, to his muscled thighs. He couldn’t help but imagine what Mr. Anderson must look like underneath the badass persona and leather. He’d really prefer not to imagine it  _ right now _ , but he couldn’t help it.

_ “I'm traveling at the speed of light _

_ I wanna make a supersonic man out of you” _

Blaine jumped back to his feet and ran first to the left side of the room, making eye contact with Rachel and grinning, then to the right, making eye contact with Kurt.

_ Was that a wink? _ Kurt asked himself, unsure if what he’d seen had actually happened. Was Blaine Anderson flirting with him?

Back in the center of the room, Blaine put one hand on his hips, tapping his foot to the beat as he pointed at the whole room in one fluid motion, grinning like this was the greatest thing he’d ever done in his life. And, he had to admit, he was enjoying himself. Just a little, though. Never let it be known that Blaine was having fun doing anything other than smoking behind the school, riding his motorcycle, and hanging out with his friends, causing mischief.  _ The guys can never find out about this _ , Blaine thought as he prepared to finish belting out the song.  _ They have to think I’m in detention. _

_ “Don't stop me now, I'm having such a good time _

_ I'm having a ball _

_ Don't stop me now _

_ If you wanna have a good time _

_ Just give me a call” _

Blaine planted his feet, squared his hips, and began to wiggle his shoulders suggestively. He needed to think of a big finish, something that would wow the class and make Mr. Schue like him. If Schue didn’t like him, he wouldn’t be disappointed enough to kick him out when Blaine enacted his plan. So, he looked around the room, eager to find something. Then, an idea popped into his head. 

_ “Don't stop me now ('cause I'm having a good time) _

_ Yes, I'm havin' a good time _

_ I don't want to stop at all” _

As he began to sing the final lines, Blaine walked toward Kurt again, taking a spot right between him and the skinny, blond cheerleader sitting next to him. He turned his back toward the class, sang the final line, and leaned back, falling. He just hoped the cheerleaders would have enough sense to catch him so he didn’t fall on his ass. How humiliating. 

Luckily, he felt a few sets of hands against his back, and he spread his arms out in a classic “look at me” gesture. The group of kids went wild. They cheered loudly, clapping for him. Blaine allowed himself a small smirk when he saw Mr. Schue headed toward the front of the room, grinning. He stood, watching Schue.

“I think we’ve just found our spring musical lead,” the teacher announced, and the kids went wild again. 

Blaine furrowed his brow.  _ Spring musical? _ That wasn’t part of the plan. No way in hell would he stand in front of the whole school and sing  _ Kumbaya _ .  _ Fuck that shit. _ He’d just have to make sure Schue kicked him out by then.

Kurt wanted to applaud; he really did. He just...couldn’t. He had just touched Blaine Anderson, and it felt like fire. He didn’t know why, but he was pretty sure his entire body was just one giant ball of flames and was going to explode. And, Mr. Schue was going to make Blaine the lead in the spring musical. Kurt almost wanted to not audition. Almost. He really did want a part, though. He loved being on stage, even if his role was typically small and non-singing. But, the opportunity to watch Blaine sing and dance on the stage would be amazing. Kurt shook his head.  _ What’s the matter with you, Hummel? _ he thought.  _ You’re a performer. You should be up there with him, not out in the crowd like a peon. _

“Have a seat, Blaine,” Mr. Schue instructed, pointing to a few empty chairs. “And, welcome to Glee Club.”

“Thanks,” Blaine answered, trying to sound as disinterested as he could. As he walked away to take a seat, he winked at Kurt, happy to see the Cheerio blush instantly. It was going to be fun to mess with him while this lasted.

Kurt felt his body react to Blaine’s wink, and he raised his hand, just as Mr. Schue was about to speak. “Mr. Schue?” he asked, speaking for the first time. His voice was quiet and rough, lower than his normal register.

“Yes, Kurt?”

“Can I use the restroom? It’s an emergency.”

“Go ahead,” Schue replied, waving him off. He turned back to the class. “Rachel, I believe you had something you wanted to say.”

“Thank you, Mr. Schue,” Rachel said, rising to go to the front of the room. “And, thank you, Blaine, for that wonderful performance. I had serious doubts about you when I saw it was you who was auditioning, and while you didn’t give as spectacular a performance as my typical fare, I still believe it was a job well done. Now…”

Kurt rolled his eyes as he made his way out of the room. Stupid Rachel. Ugh. She was still talking, so loudly he could hear her as he headed down the hall to the bathroom.

“I know we have the spring musical coming up, which I’m already preparing for the lead role in, but we also have regionals. We’re going to want songs that showcase  _ my _ range and capabilities, so…”


	3. Chapter 3

After Glee practice, Kurt walked home with Brittany, Santana, and Quinn as usual. The girls chattered on and on about the song Coach Sylvester had picked out for their competition, mentioning to Kurt over and over about the things he could do as he sang and the things the girls could do for stunts, but Kurt wasn’t really listening. He was thinking about Blaine.

He wasn’t sure why he had that particular person on his mind, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Glee Club, about the way that watching Blaine dance made him feel. The other boy had clearly been flirting with him, Kurt knew, and that confused him, too. He’d never really had any run-ins with Blaine. He’d been shoved down and slushied by a few of his minions more times than he could count, but after he had joined the Cheerios, a lot of the bullying had stopped. So, what was it about Blaine today that Kurt couldn’t forget?

When the girls dropped him off at his house, Kurt gave each of them a kiss on the cheek before heading inside his house. As usual, his mother, Elizabeth, was in the kitchen. She beamed at him when he walked in. “Hi, Kurtie. How was your day?”

“Hey, Mom,” he replied, reaching over to snatch a warm cookie off the tray. “Coach gave me a singing part for Regionals, and everyone’s excited about it!” He beamed as he took a bite of his cookie.

“That’s great, honey,” Elizabeth said, rounding the kitchen island to give Kurt a celebratory hug. “What song did she pick for you?”

“We’re doing a  _ Wicked _ medley,” Kurt said, doing a little happy dance. “I’ve always wanted to sing songs from Wicked, and I finally get to! There are so many songs in the medley:  _ Popular, Defying Gravity, The Wizard and I, For Good _ . There are others, too, but I can’t think of them right now. It’s going to be so fun!”

“I’m so proud of you,” Elizabeth beamed, pulling him close to her again. “I know you’ll do great! How long before Regionals?” As she waited for him to answer, she pulled a few more cookies onto a nearby plate and grabbed the class of milk she’d already poured for him before ushering him to the table. “If you need extra practice time, I’ll talk to Dad about letting you stay home this weekend instead of going into the shop.”

“I’ve got more than a month; I can still help Dad if he needs it,” Kurt responded. “Oh my God, Mom. These cookies are so good!” He grabbed another from the plate, dunking it in his milk glass. He was silent for a moment, contemplating if he should tell her about Blaine or not. He decided against it. Nothing was happening there, regardless of how his body reacted to the boy’s suggestive dancing. Blaine was a bad boy type, not someone Kurt really wanted to hang out with. Weed and beer wasn’t his type of party, and he suspected that’s how Blaine tended to spend most of his time, even during the school day.

So, instead of talking about Blaine, Kurt chatted with his mother about everything else that had happened at school that day. He filled her in on the latest relationship shenanigans amongst the Cheerios--“Brittany and Santana are dating! Can you believe that?”-- and he told her all about Rachel’s latest ploy to get the lead in the school musical. Again. His mother listened with rapt attention, just like he knew she would. She was a good listener and he was lucky that she was almost always home to talk with him; he knew this was a privilege that many other kids didn’t get.

“Dinner will be ready soon,” Elizabeth told him after they’d finally finished talking. It had been nearly an hour, and Kurt still hadn’t changed out of his Cheerios uniform. “Why don’t you go put on something comfy and lounge around until Dad gets home? It sounds like you deserve it.” She smiled at him again, kissing his cheek before turning back toward the kitchen.

“I think I’m going to turn on  _ Les Mis _ ,” he said as he came up behind her. “Are you making your braised pork chops again?”

“Yep! You liked those, didn’t you?”

“Loved them! Thanks!” With that, Kurt ran up to his room, eager to get out of his uniform. It wasn’t that it was uncomfortable. It was just...uncomfortable, especially after wearing it all day long. He breathed a sigh of relief after he’d slipped into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, an outfit he’d never admit to wearing outside of his house, no matter who asked him. Then, he flopped on his bed with his laptop, making a quick pit stop at the Broadway blogs to see if there was any news about his favorite actors before he headed to Netflix.

In the end, Kurt decided against  _ Les Mis _ . It was too sad, so he decided to turn on Hairspray, an old favorite of his since childhood. He sang along with each track, chastising himself in the back of his mind for choosing this particular movie.  _ Good Morning Baltimore _ was going to be eternally stuck in his head. He’d have to listen to his  _ Wicked _ medley to even have a chance of forgetting it. Just as he was watching Tracey lead her mother to Mr. Pinky’s, the opening lines of  _ Welcome to the 60’s _ playing, he felt an odd burning sensation on his left hip. It was intense, almost as if someone was sticking a hot fire poker against his skin. At first, he wasn’t sure what it was, but then, he remembered his eighth-grade Health and Relationships class.

_ “Today, class, we’re going to talk about soulmates,” their teacher, Ms. Holly Holiday, announced as the late bell rang. There was a murmur throughout the room, and she held up a hand. “I know. Girls are emotional. Boys smell. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but there will come a day when you might meet your soulmate. It could be sooner than you think.” She flashed the class one of her trademark smiles before walking to the whiteboard and grabbing a marker. _

_ Kurt rolled his eyes. Ms. Holiday was known throughout the school for believing that children should not be hidden from the truth. She answered every question, no matter the subject matter, and she had been known to draw some fairly risque things on the board to illustrate her lessons. Today was likely to be no exception, and Kurt wasn’t sure he was ready for this. He could quite honestly do without her tongue-in-cheek sexual references today. _

_ Ms. Holiday wrote in big, sweeping script across the board “1776.” Then, she turned to her class. “What do you think is significant about that year?” _

_ “That’s the year we signed the Constitution?” someone guessed. _

_ “No! That’s the year we signed the Declaration of Independence, stupid!” Lauren Zizes hissed, sticking her tongue out at the offending party. _

_ “Very good, Ms. Zizes,” Ms. Holiday said, “but unfortunately, that’s not the answer I was looking for.” Someone else raised their hand, and she pointed at them with her marker. _

_ “That’s the year the first soulmates were recorded?” _

_ “Correct!” Ms. Holiday sang, turning back to the board. “The first reported soulmates appeared in someone’s journal in 1776. We have no idea when in that year and no idea who the first soulmates were because the keeper of said journal didn’t think it wise to sign their journal or put their names anywhere inside. There may have been soulmates before this, but if there were, we don’t know.” She turned back to the class. “Now, who can tell me how you know someone is your soulmate?” _

_ Lauren blurted out, “Your name gets scribbled on them somewhere, and it looks like they fuckin’ own you.” _

_ “No cursing needed, Ms. Zizes,” Ms. Holiday said, “but you’re correct. When you get your soulmark, you will have the name of your soulmate written on your body somewhere in cursive. This does not, in fact, mean that they own you.” _

_ Rick the Stick, ever the one with the most clever questions asked, “Can I get my soulmark on my dick?” _

_ Ms. Holiday smiled as the rest of the class laughed. “No. No one has ever been reported having their soulmark on their genitals. However, there have been reports of soulmarks appearing on foreheads and butts.” She smacked her fanny for good measure before glancing down at her notes. “So, how old will you be when you get your soulmark?” _

_ Everyone knew the answer to this and a collective sigh went through the room before someone said, “Between 16 and 18.” _

_ “Correct again,” Ms. Holiday smirked. “You guys are smart cookies. Yes. Somewhere between your sixteenth and eighteenth birthday, you’ll get your soulmark.” _

_ Santana raised her hand. “I like girls. Will my soulmate be a girl?” _

_ “Fate knows your sexual preferences,” Ms. Holiday explained. “If you like girls, your soulmate will be a girl. If you like boys, your soulmate will be a boy. If you don’t know, well, Fate will let you know. There has never been anyone who didn’t feel attracted to their soulmate.” She watched as her students processed this information. _

_ Kurt let out a small sigh of relief. His parents had told him about soulmates growing up, but he’d never been sure that Fate would give him a boy’s name. Even though his parents had reassured him that he didn’t have to worry, that Fate would know what it was doing, he had still worried, wondering if he’d be stuck in a loveless soulbond with a girl he just wasn’t attracted to. At least now he knew he wouldn’t have to worry about being unhappy forever. _

_ “Does anyone know what it will feel like?” Ms. Holiday asked a few moments later. _

_ There was a flurry of answers thrown about the room, and Ms. Holiday waited until everyone had quieted down before she answered her own question. “It will feel like a burning pain, almost as if you’ve stuck your hand on a hot stovetop, or you’ve spilled hot coffee on you.” _

_ There was another murmuring throughout the room, and someone asked, “Why does it burn?” _

_ “Fabulous question,” Ms. Holiday replied, walking back and forth in front of them. “The burning is actually essential. What you’re feeling, besides the forming of your soulmark, is the creation of your soulbond. Your soulbond is what binds you to your soulmate, allows you to feel their emotions, their pain, and it makes sex much more intimate for both of you.” She grinned at the colored cheeks in the room from some of the students who were clearly not comfortable with discussing sex in class. _

_ Rick, however, had no such concerns. “How does it make sex better?” _

_ “You can feel the other person’s orgasm,” Ms. Holiday answered.  _

_ No one knew quite what to do with that information. _

_ “It’s really quite pleasurable,” Ms. Holiday went on, acting as though she discussed sex with her students every day, which, in fact, she sort of did. “In fact, when your partner orgasms, it--” _

That’s where Kurt had stopped listening, but it was enough for him to understand what was happening right now. His soulmark was being etched into his skin, and his soulbond was forming with his soulmate. A shot of excitement went through him, and he squealed silently, clenching his fists at his sides. This was it, the moment he’d been waiting for since he turned sixteen almost a year ago. He wasn’t sure why it had taken so long to find out his soulmate’s name, but he wasn’t going to complain. He was finding out now. A tiny part of him hoped that he would already know the person being etched on his left hip, but another part of him hoped it would be a stranger, someone who wouldn’t know his past and what his life had been like over the past few years. 

After a few minutes, the burning stopped, and Kurt took a moment to calm himself and steady his breathing.  _ I’m not going to freak out _ , he told himself.  _ Whoever it is, I’m going to love him unconditionally. No questions asked _ . He took a few deep breaths, squeezed his eyes tight, and hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his sweatpants. This was it. This was the moment of truth. Once he’d read the name on his hip, there was no going back. 

Slowly, he rolled his waistband down bit by bit until just the top of his soulmark was showing. The writing was curvy and beautiful, just as he’d known it would be. His parents had shown him their soulmarks when he was younger, and he’d asked about the writing. 

“Fate wants your mark to be beautiful, Kurtie,” his mother had answered. “Your soulmark will be in writing just like this. And, so will your soulmates.”

Kurt had believed her; it just hadn’t seemed real until now. 

With another deep breath, he pushed the band down further so he could read the entire mark, read the whole name. What he saw stopped him in his tracks.

**Blaine Anderson**

The name was written clear as day on his hip, his soulmate’s first name written beautifully beside his last. But, there was no way. There was no way that Blaine Anderson was his soulmate. It couldn’t be. The two of them had nothing in common. They didn’t even like one another, had never spoken. The most contact they’d had was the dance in Glee that afternoon. This couldn’t be right. Fate had made a mistake. 

The only thing Kurt could think of to do was cry. He flopped backward onto his pillow, not caring that Hairspray was still playing on his laptop. The biggest moment of his life so far, the one moment he’d been waiting for since he was very small had been ruined. He could never tell anyone. He could never let anyone know. This wasn’t happening, could never happen. He had to be strong, but right now, all he wanted to do was cry.

*****

Blaine was hanging out in his garage, working on his bike and smoking a joint when he felt a slight burning on his right shoulder. The sensation wasn’t nearly as bad as when he’d gotten his soulmark just a few days after his sixteenth birthday, but he’d been expecting this renewed burn. He knew that if you got your soulmark before your soulmate, you’d get a bit of a sting when the rest of your soulbond was formed, the day your soulmate received their soulmark. He rubbed at the spot, irritated. He’d been trying his best to forget about his soulmark. The day he’d gotten it, he hadn’t been able to help the bit of excitement that went through him. Reading the name, however, had zapped all excitement away.

**Kurt Hummel**

That had not been the name he’d wanted to see. Blaine Anderson was a badass. Kurt Hummel was decidedly not. He was on the Cheerios after all. So, Blaine had shoved all thoughts of a happy life with his soulmate to the back of his mind, just as he was doing now at the thought of the doe-eyed, impressionable cheerleader. “I’m not dating Kurt Hummel,” he mumbled to himself as he went back to cleaning out the carburetor. “I don’t date Cheerios.”


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning at school, Kurt was not himself. He was quiet and reserved, and he chose not to spend any time with his friends before class started.

“Don’t you wanna talk with us, Kurt?” Brittany had asked, chasing after him when he’d passed their group in the hallway without saying anything. “We’re talking about dance steps for your song for Regionals. Tana heard that Coach Sylvester is--”

“I don’t feel like it today, Brit,” he said, brushing her off. He was headed to the library to listen to music until the bell rang. No one would bother him in there; the library was a ghost yard that the students didn’t visit unless they were forced to. 

When he arrived, Kurt found a chair in the furthest back corner and plopped down, leaning his bag against the chair legs. Then, he put in his earbuds and put his iPod on shuffle. Of course, the first song that played was  _ Don’t Stop Me Now _ . Quickly, Kurt switched to the next song. This time, it was  _ Criminal _ by Britney Spears. With a huff, he switched the song off and moved to his  _ Wicked _ playlist. Maybe he could get some good ideas for his medley for Cheerios practice. The streams of  _ Popular _ blasted into his ears. At least this song put him in a good mood.

As he sat there in the chair, he tried to think of anything else besides his soulmark and his soulmate. He hadn’t been able to escape it the night before. His parents had immediately known something was off, but in true form, they didn’t push him.

“Do you want to talk about it, sweetie?” his mom had asked him after they’d taken a few bites of their dinner.

“I’d rather not.”

“You’re not hurt, are you?” Burt had pressed. “You don’t have to tell us what’s bothering you unless you’re hurt.”

“I’m not hurt, Dad. I promise.”

“Okay, then. Keep it to yourself if you want.” Burt had sat back in his chair, satisfied.

After dinner, Kurt had gone upstairs to study and work on his homework. He couldn’t concentrate, though. He kept envisioning his soulmark forming. Maybe if he’d looked before it was done, it would have been someone else’s name? He’d dismissed that thought as quickly as he could. He couldn’t have changed his soulmates name by looking at it early or scribbling it out with a marker. It was what it was; Fate chose it. There was nothing he could do. 

When he’d found he couldn’t study, he’d tried listening to music. Didn’t work. He’d tried singing. Didn’t work. He’d tried watching a movie. Didn’t work. He’d even tried taking a shower and going through his moisturizing routine. Nothing could get him to stop going over and over the details of his soulbond in his mind. He was now permanently connected to Blaine Anderson. 

Kurt couldn’t get Blaine out of his head that night. Even lying in the dark, his mind had raced with images of his soulmate dancing in the choir room. Then, he’d pictured him on his motorcycle, the one he’d seen him riding around town on a few times, the one that was always parked in the school parking lot because Blaine and his friends, if you could call them that, were always hanging out at the school. He’d imagined him smoking behind the school and drinking under the bleachers. The whole thing had given him shivers, and he’d stayed up all night practically, part of him thinking and part of him worrying. What was his life going to be like now that he was permanently tethered to a person who didn’t even know his name?

He knew from reading about it in health class that one could feel their soulmate’s emotions through their soulbond. He’d expected to feel at least a little bit different, though he wasn’t exactly sure how much his soulmate’s emotions would affect him. Kurt had not, however, expected to feel so angry all of a sudden. It was as if a giant tidal wave of anger had spread through his body in an instant, in one moment making him feel like punching a wall and in the next feel like sobbing his eyes out. He wondered if that was how Blaine always felt or if that was just his current emotion. He didn’t know, but the anger and sadness that were bubbling inside him felt awful. It plucked at his heartstrings to know that his soulmate was feeling that way, but there was nothing he could do about it. Blaine didn’t talk to him, probably never would. He also felt his own frustration rising, wondering why he had to be saddled with Blaine Anderson. Wasn’t there anyone else for his soul to desire? Even a girl would be better than this.

Kurt sighed as the next song came on:  _ For Good _ . He was never going to have a happily ever after. He’d dreamed about it, had stacks of wedding magazines under his bed, each one dog-eared and bookmarked to indicate things he wanted for his perfect ceremony. Now, all that time spent would be for not. As if Blaine Anderson would ever want to marry him. Kurt scoffed.

“ _ I don’t know if I’ve been changed for the better, _

_ But, because I knew you, _

_ Because I knew you, _

_ I have been changed for good. _ ”

He knew he hadn’t been changed for the better because of Blaine Anderson. He’d only been changed for the worse. There was no better at this point. Everything was downhill from there.

As if to prove his point, at that moment, the doors to the library were aggressively shoved open, and Artie backed his wheelchair in, followed closely by none other than Noah Puckerman and Blaine. The two boys were standing over Artie, glaring at him. Puck got down in his face, muttering something, and Kurt could see Artie physically pull back. 

Carefully, Kurt dislodged one of his earbuds, pausing the song and peering around the bookcase to watch what was happening.

“I-I don’t have any money,” Artie was stammering. “You-you guys can check m-my pockets. He-here’s my wallet.” He tried to hand the wallet to them, but Puck swiped it out of his hand onto the floor.

“We know you have the money,” Blaine said, getting close to Artie’s face. “You made a bet with that weird Asain chick yesterday, so we know about the twenty bucks!” He leaned even closer, whispering in his ear, “Hand it over before we lock you in a Porta-John.”

“No. Please. Not again,” Artie begged. “I really don’t have it. I already gave the money to Tina!”

“He’s not kidding,” Puck demanded. He looked over at Blaine. “Want me to pull him outta his chair?”

Kurt immediately began trying to send calming signals to Blaine via their bond. He knew that there was no way he’d be able to physically take on both Blaine and Puck, but he wanted to make them leave Artie alone. It was clear that Artie was terrified and unable to fend them off on his own.

It was obvious when Blaine began to feel the calming signals Kurt was flinging his way, because he whipped his head up, eyes wildly searching for Kurt. If it was possible, their bond became overloaded with rage, extra anger bubbling over at Kurt’s attempts to make him stop. 

Unphased, Kurt continued, watching to see what would happen in front of him?

“B?” Puck asked, touching his friend’s shoulder. “What do you wanna do?’

“Please just let me go,” Artie begged. “I’ll bring you money tomorrow. I just don’t have anything with me right now.”

“Let him go and then get out of here,” Blaine growled, low in his throat. His gaze seemed to land on the end of the bookshelf Kurt had been watching from, and he began to stalk toward the back of the library.

“What?” Puck called after him, clearly confused. “Where are you going?”

Blaine whirled around. “I said, ‘Let him go!’” He was shouting now, but he didn’t care. His soulmate was somewhere in the library, and he was going to find him.

Artie was frozen, unsure what was happening or what he was supposed to do. 

“You better go before B changes his mind,” Puck declared stepping aside marginally and giving Artie’s chair an unceremonious shove toward the door. “And, bring us that twenty bucks tomorrow, or we’re locking you in the Porta-John.”

Quickly, Artie rolled out the doors, not waiting around to question it. “Okay,” he called over his shoulder, zooming off as fast as he could.

Blaine caught sight of Kurt and threw over his shoulder at Puck, “I’ll meet you behind the school in five minutes. Go.” Then, he stomped toward Kurt, not even looking to see if Puck followed his directions. “What the fuck are you doing?” he growled at Kurt when the library doors snapped shut behind him. “Are you spying on me?”

“No.” Kurt shook his head, watching Blaine with large eyes. He was scared, and he was sure Blaine could feel it through their bond, but he didn’t dare move.

Blaine seemed taken aback by that declaration. Kurt had been watching him; he was sure of it, and he hesitated. Maybe he was feeling Kurt’s terror through their bond? He stood frozen for a moment before getting right in Kurt’s face. “You had better leave me alone,” he spat, little flecks of spittle landing on Kurt’s cheek. “I don’t give a goddamned fuck if we’re soulmates or not. Stay the hell out of my business, and get out of my head.”

Kurt didn’t know what to say. He nodded slightly, waiting for Blaine to move.

“Don’t make me tell you again,” Blaine warned, his eyes flashing his anger.

With another imperceptible nod, he waited for Blaine to step back. Kurt watched the emotions fly through Blaine’s eyes and could feel them through the bond. Confidence, a split-second of happiness, and back to anger. It was all so overwhelming, and with Blaine close to him, Kurt could feel the emotions stronger than he had all night.

Blaine stepped back and gave Kurt a final glare before spinning on his heel and marching out of the room, his hips sashaying almost suggestively as he pushed through the library doors. The leather pants that he’d chosen for the day hugged his ass perfectly, and he fuckin’ knew it.

To his horror, Kurt felt a spark of arousal shoot through him as he watched Blaine swagger out the door. His ass in those pants, his broad shoulders in that jacket was everything Kurt wanted and hated all at once. And now, Blaine Anderson was privy to that information.

Just then, the bell rang, and Kurt sighed, rising to his feet. He grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder, stuffing his iPod into one of his bag’s side pockets. Damn this Cheerios uniform for not having pockets, he thought to himself. Now he was headed to Calculus. As if he’d ever be able to concentrate in there now. Math was hard enough; being unable to focus due to someone else’s pent up rage wasn’t going to help anything.

As the day progressed, Kurt realized that he wasn’t just feeling anger and sadness via his soulbond anymore. Blaine was playing with him. There were times when he went from feeling annoyed to excited to lonely in the space of five seconds. Blaine was a good actor; Kurt would give him that. It was just that he knew Blaine couldn’t be truly feeling those emotions. There were too many too fast, and he knew that Blaine was comfortable in his anger; at least, he seemed to be.

By the end of the day Tuesday, Kurt couldn’t remember much about his classes. He knew he hadn’t been paying much attention. Several of his teachers had had to call on him multiple times during class to get him to answer a question. He’d taken a quiz, but he had no idea what he’d written down. He didn’t even know what class the quiz had been in. He’d just been so out of it, dealing with so many sensations that he wasn’t familiar with. And, unlike his own emotions that he could push to the back of his mind, Blaine’s feelings were loud, screaming at him, taking over the entirety of his brain. 

After school, Kurt went home and tried to nap. He didn’t feel like singing or dancing; he wasn’t even sure he’d be able to concentrate on the song if he tried to go. Coach Sylvester would likely chew his ass first thing in the morning, but he didn’t care. He had to find a way to deal with these emotions.

Shortly before dinner, realizing that he wasn’t going to be able to nap, Kurt got on his phone and Googled ways to deal with the new emotions of his soulmate. Most things he found online were unhelpful. Many of the forums were full of people bragging about how they felt so in love with their soulmate, wondering how they could tell their soulmate where they were, or discussing ways to increase their sensitivity to their soulmate’s emotions. Very few people asked about limiting their soulmates, and most of those who did were left without responses. A few people even gave the advice to get rid of their soulmate and try to find someone else. “Right. Because I could totally spend the rest of my life feeling like this and also dealing with someone else’s problems.”

By the time his mother called up to him that dinner was ready, Kurt had given up on finding advice online. He briefly considered asking his parents if they knew of any solutions; they were soulmates, too, after all. In the end, he decided against it. He knew what their reaction would be: pure, unadulterated joy. They knew he’d been excitedly awaiting the arrival of his soulmark, and they wouldn’t understand that Blaine Anderson was untouchable. He could just hear them now: “Oh, Kurtie, have you tried talking to him? Maybe you should tell him how you feel? You won’t know until you try, son.” His parents meant well; he knew they loved him. They just wouldn’t understand that his soulmate was not his dream, that no matter how much he might want to consider giving this boy a chance, he just knew it wouldn’t be worth his time.

His father insisted they watch a movie as a family, so Kurt wasn’t able to make it back up to his room until almost nine o’clock that night. He was exhausted from so little sleep and his inability to concentrate, but he knew that falling asleep wouldn’t be possible, at least not yet. So, instead, he got on his phone and decided to stalk Blaine’s social media accounts. His Facebook was a wasteland; apparently, Blaine had given up on it in middle school and other than a few lame, crude jokes, there wasn’t much to see. Kurt did find a few photos of him with who he assumed was his older brother. Blaine had been a cutie in elementary school. Kurt wondered for a few moments how he’d missed that.

Blaine’s Twitter account was similar to his Facebook. It was clear he rarely used it. There was some activity, and he followed a lot of celebrities, but most of his Tweets were just retweets from rock groups and rappers. There was nothing there that Kurt was interested in, either.

Instagram, much to Kurt’s surprise, turned out to be the most helpful of Blaine’s social media accounts. His Instagram was chalk full of photos of him, mostly with his motorcycle. Kurt had to admit, the man looked hot atop a bike, all decked out in leather and bandanas. There was even a picture of him shirtless, and Kurt had a hard time tamping down the arousal that coursed through his veins. He knew Blaine was feeling every bit of it, and he felt a little embarrassed. However, he kept looking, and he was eventually able to calm down. What was more interesting than the motorcycle photos, however, were the pictures he had with his family. Blaine was smiling and looked almost normal in the photos with his mother and grandmother. There were no photos of him with his dad, but it seemed he did a lot of stuff with his grandmother, especially over the last summer. Kurt felt a surge of pride, and he let it run through him. Something told him that Blaine didn’t feel that way often. Maybe he needed it.

By the time he’d made it through most of Blaine’s Instagram feed, Kurt was feeling tired. He wasn’t feeling Blaine’s anger so much any more. Perhaps he’d gone to sleep himself? Maybe he wasn’t as angry after Kurt had been proud? There was no way to know for sure, but Kurt was going to catch some sleep while he could. So, he quickly brushed his teeth and moisturized his face before laying down to catch some Z’s.

The next day, Wednesday, didn’t prove to be much better for Kurt. He woke up feeling Blaine’s anger once again, and he spent most of the day zoning out. Even his friends were beginning to worry about him, he could tell. He didn’t know why it was so hard for him to press down Blaine’s emotions, and he didn’t know why Blaine was constantly angry. All he knew was that he was ready for his life back. He almost wished he’d never gotten his soulmark; never knowing if he’d end up in a relationship with someone had to be better than carrying around someone’s overbearing emotions all day long. It wasn’t just the anger and sadness, he realized. Everything that Blaine felt, no matter how brief, would flood Kurt’s system as if he was totally submerged in the emotion.  _ Does Blaine feel that strongly, or is it me? _ he wondered as he tried to puzzle out how he was feeling during a class. Maybe Blaine was an incredibly emotional person and no one knew it?

Thursday, when Kurt arrived at school, there was a note on his locker.

“Kurt,” it read. “Some of your friends are beginning to worry about you. When you get to school, please come to my office. I’d like to talk.” The note was signed “Ms. P.”

“Great,” he mumbled, grabbing his books from his locker before slamming the door shut. “Who reported me to the frickin’ counselor?” Slinging his bag lazily over his shoulder, he made his way toward Ms. Pilsbury’s office, sitting down heavily in a chair in front of her desk. “You wanted to see me?” he asked. He still wasn’t getting enough sleep. Blaine was apparently used to waking up at 4 am, and Kurt was definitely not.

“Well, good morning,” Ms. Pillsbury said, smiling brightly at him. “How are you, Kurt?”

“Exhausted,” he admitted, yawning. “What did you want to see me about?”

Turning around in her chair, Ms. Pillsbury grabbed a pamphlet from the rack behind her, handing it over to Kurt. The title read, “So You’ve Started Failing Your Classes.” She waited for him to read it before saying, “One of your teachers told me that you have been mostly absent from class since Monday.”

Kurt looked at her, confused. “Um, I’ve been going to class.”

“He means not paying attention,” she said sweetly, reaching for the hand sanitizer on her desk. “Anyway, I wondered if there was a reason or if you’ve just got a case of senioritis.”

“I’m just tired,” he assured her. “Is there anything else? I’ll try to pay more attention.”

“You’re sure there’s nothing else going on?” She was silent as she spread a large dollop of sanitizer over her hands. Then, she reached behind her again, grabbing another pamphlet. This one said, “Help! I’ve Just Discovered My Changing Body.”

This one Kurt tossed back on her desk. “I’ve already gone through puberty,” he told her, looking at her with disgust. “I’m fine. Can I go?”

“Just one more thing. Kurt, someone said that you witnessed something in the library a few days ago. Is that true?”

So, it was Brittany. She was the only one he’d told about seeing Artie in the library. The two of them were pretty close, and he’d wanted someone to be able to check on Artie without bringing too much attention to the situation. Especially since Blaine was in Glee Club now.”

“Yes. I saw Blaine and Puck picking on Artie. They let him go, though. Everyone was fine.”

“Did you get involved?”

Kurt tried to think of a way to answer this question without giving everything away. “No,” he said finally, settling on an answer. “They didn’t find what they were looking for, so they let him go.”

“And, you had nothing to do with it?”

Kurt hesitated for a moment. He was terrible at lying, but he didn’t want to tell her. “No. They did it on their own.”

“Did you communicate with someone?” Ms. Pillsbury asked. “Maybe without words?”

With a sigh, Kurt slumped against his seat. He didn’t really think he had any choice but to tell her. First, however, he leaned over and swung her office door shut. He wasn’t going to risk anyone else hearing him. “Blaine’s my soulmate, okay?” he asked angrily, his emotions on overdrive from sleep deprivation and feeling Blaine’s constant emotion. “I haven’t told anyone, not even my parents. And, I’m not going to. No one needs to find out about this.” He gave her a pointed look, almost daring her to try to tell someone.

Ms. Pillsbury held up her hands. “I can’t tell anyone,” she said. “As a counselor, I’m sworn to keep the things you say a secret unless I deem you to be a threat to yourself or someone else. Or, if someone is hurting you,” she added. “I can’t allow any physical bullying to continue.”

“Well, I’m not. And, no one is hurting me, either.”

“I know. So, Mr. Anderson is your soulmate. Are you going to tell him?”

Kurt scoffed. “Absolutely not. He doesn’t like me, and I don’t really like him. I guess I’m just destined to be alone.” He hadn’t planned to admit that, but exhaustion was making him emotional.

“You don’t have to be alone. You can talk to him. Maybe there are feelings that he’s pu--”

“There’s not,” Kurt assured her. “And, being alone isn’t my problem. It’s the damn soulbond.” 

“What do you mean?”

“Everything Blaine feels, I feel. And, he’s always angry. I mean, like, pissed. And, it’s hard for me to push it down. It’s impossible, actually.”

“That explains the poor grades then,” Ms. Pillsbury commented, reaching across the table and plucking the first pamphlet she’d given Kurt out of his hands. “Sorry. I can only get so many of these. Principal Figgins only gives me a tiny budget.”

“I don’t need it,” Kurt replied, waving off her apology. “Do you have any ideas about how to get it to stop? Or, how I could control it?”

“Hmm,” Emma thought, reaching under her desk for a spray bottle and beginning to spray the leaves of the plant sitting on the corner of her desk. “Maybe you could try tanning?”

“Excuse me?” Kurt asked. Ms. Pillsbury could be quite receptive, but Kurt tended to view her as a bit of a bird-brain. Her ideas and her pamphlets left a lot to be desired.

“Well, Blaine’s angry. So, he needs you to send him calming thoughts. If you’re tanning, maybe your relaxation will transfer through your bond to him.”

“I don’t think that will work,” Kurt replied, a bit surly. “I’ve sent him a few different emotions, and he responds with more anger.”

“Well, what about meditating?”

Kurt rolled his eyes then glanced at the time on his phone. “I really need to get to class. Is there anything else?”

“Kurt, I really want to help you. You can’t mess up these last few months of classes. It’s your senior year.”

“I know. I’ll get it under control. Thanks.” He rose from the chair and turned toward the door. Before he could leave, he heard Ms. Pillsbury say his name again. He glanced back at her over his shoulder.

“I really think you should try tanning.”

“I’ll consider it.” With that, he walked out the door and headed down the hall to Calculus. “I’m going to concentrate,” he muttered to himself. “Today’s going to be a good day, and here’s why.” He hummed to himself as he walked. Blaine’s anger was still present, but it seemed to lessen a bit as he hummed. Maybe music was the answer? But, he couldn’t hum his way through class.

So, for the duration of the school day, Kurt tried to find a way to use music to help him concentrate. It was hard to have music going in his head and still listen, but he found that even tapping his foot or scribbling with his pen in his notebook helped to keep a bit of the emotion at bay. He was certainly not concentrating as well as he had been before the soulbond, but he could at least focus long enough to answer a question when he was called on. His teachers seemed happy with his progress, so he marked it down as a win.

When he stepped into Glee Club that afternoon, Mr. Schue was all smiles.

“Guess what, guys!” he crowed as he walked toward the whiteboard. “I’ve chosen our spring musical!” The class cheered as Schue wrote the words “Spring Musical” in huge lettering. Then, underneath he wrote something else, but his body blocked their view.

“What is it, Mr. Schue?” Rachel asked, standing on her tippy toes in front of her chair to try to see. 

“Sit down, Rachel,” Schue replied without turning around. “This year, for our spring musical, I’ve chosen... _ Grease _ !” He stepped back, making spirit fingers as the name of the musical was revealed.

“This is perfect!” Rachel crowed, jumping out of her seat and holding her hands tightly against her chest. “I have every song from this musical memorized! And,” she added, looking around at her classmates, “I think it’s very forward of Mr. Schue to pick a brunette for a traditionally blonde role. I promise to--”

“Who says you get to play Sandy?” Mercedes piped up. “It would be forward if Mr. Schue picked a black girl to play the lead.”

“Well, we can’t forget that the role of Sandy also has to be picked based on vocal talent. And, I’m sorry, Mercedes, but you don’t have the singing chops that I do.”

“Come at me!” Mercedes shouted, jumping out of her seat. “You wanna have a--”

“Girls! Enough!” Schue shouted, cutting them off. “We’re not going to argue about the casting today. We’ll hold auditions.”

“When?” A chorus of questions came from the students, and Kurt sighed. Another musical in which he wouldn’t be able to play any decent character. And, it was his senior year, his last chance to really get to perform. Maybe he wouldn’t even audition.

“Next week,” Schue said. “We’ll have auditions for every part except for Danny Zuko.”

Murmurs filtered through the class as Rachel stood yet again. “Mr. Schue, I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say it’s a relief that Finn g--”

“Finn isn’t playing Danny,” Schue interrupted her. “I’d like Blaine to.” 

Everyone turned to look at Blaine who gulped. “Um, Mr. Schue, I’m not su--”

“You’ll be perfect!” Schue crowed. “In fact, I would like you to perform a song for us now. Do you know  _ Greased Lightnin’ _ ?” 

“Of course,” he said, as confident as ever. He sauntered to the front of the room and struck a dramatic pose as he waited for the band kids to get ready. 

“Finn, Sam, Mike, I’d like you to sing backup for Blaine,” Schue instructed, pointing to the guys. They moved toward the front of the room, too, standing around Blaine.

When he received a nod from the drummer, Blaine hooked his thumbs in his belt loops and began.

“ _ Why this car is automatic _

_ It's systematic _

_ It's hydromatic _

_ Why it's greased lightning _ ”

The guys standing beside him echoed, “ _ Greased lightning! _ ”

“ _ We'll get some overhead lifters and some four barrel quads _

_ oh yeah _ ”

Blaine was magnificent. As he sang, he danced around the room, mimicking John Travolta’s dance from the original movie. Finn, Sam, and Mike had had the forethought to bring their chairs up with them, and Blaine used them as stepping stones to make his way onto the piano. On his way, he flung his leather jacket behind him, leaving him standing in just his leather pants and a tight, black ribbed tank top.

Another surge of attraction and arousal tore through Kurt, and he bit his lip, crossing his legs to keep from showing off his reaction.

“ _ A fuel injection cutoff and chrome plated rods oh yeah _

_ With a four speed on the floor they'll be waiting at the door _

_ You know that ain't no shit we'll be getting lots of tit _

_ In Greased Lightning _

_ Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go _ ” 

On top of the piano, Blaine tapped his toes, twisted his torso, and swivelled his hips suggestively. He winked and grinned at the class as he sang, making sure to pronounce the word “tit” loudly, earning him a slight glare from Mr. Schue. Following his very dirty pelvic thrust, using his hands to showcase exactly what he meant, Blaine jumped from the piano to the floor and quickly climbed them again, using the piano this time as the car instead of the greasy workbench.

Kurt let out a tiny peep at Blaine’s pelvic thrust and squeezed his legs together tighter, fighting to keep his body from reacting and his face from giving away too much. He didn’t miss Blaine’s smile, however. Probably his reaction to Kurt’s resounding, lust-filled signals that were zinging through their soulbond. And, for the first time ever, Kurt was feeling something besides anger. He was feeling...joy. Elation. 

“ _ Go greased lightning you're burning up the quarter mile _

_ Go greased lightning you're coasting through the heat lap trial _

_ You are supreme the chicks'll cream for greased lightning _

_ Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go _ ”

This time, Blaine thrust his pelvis out and left it there. He swirled his hips just a tiny bit, enough to be suggestive as he put on his best seductive face and danced with his arms, again mimicking John Travolta’s moves. As they neared the end of the chorus, Blaine jumped down from the piano, striking a pose as the three guys singing backup moved to stand around him.

“ _ Purple french tail lights and thirty inch fins _

_ oh yeah _

_ A Palomino dashboard and duel muffler twins _

_ oh yeah _

_ With new pistons, plugs, and shocks I can get off my rocks _

_ You know that I ain't bragging she's a real pussy wagon _

_ Greased lightning _ ”

Blaine danced on the floor this time, twisting side to side as he sang the first line of the verse. Then, he skipped around to the other side of the piano, leaning against the far edge. As his backup singers sang their “Ooh yeah” he ducked and slid beneath the piano, popping out on the other side almost right in front of Kurt. He stared him right in the eye as he continued to move, shaking his hips back and forth.

Kurt bit his lip again, fighting back another moan. This was too much. He needed to get out of there. Something kept pressing at the back of his mind, though, even as he tried to force down his arousal.  _ Is Blaine flirting with me _ ?

“ _ Go greased lightning you're burning up the quarter mile _

_ Go greased lighting you're coasting through the heat lap trial _

_ You are supreme the chicks'll cream for greased lightning _ ”

With a hand on his hip, Blaine danced through the chorus again, gliding his hand through the air and tapping his toe, making eye contact with everyone. His gaze kept coming back to Kurt, though, and he’d stare at him for an extra long second before ripping his gaze away. He did the butterfly, spun in a circle, and kicked his legs in the air using the piano as a crutch. Then, he and the boys moved into their final chorus.

Kurt couldn’t take his eyes off of Blaine. He was perfect dancing this way, and for a moment, Kurt forgot that he hated that Blaine was his soulmate. For a moment, everything was right with the world because the boys were sharing one mutual thing for one another through their bond: lust.

“ _ Go greased lightning you're burning up the quarter mile _

_ Go greased lighting you're coasting through the hit lap trial _

_ You are supreme the chicks'll cream for greased lightning _

_ Lightning, lightning, lightning _

_ Lightning, lightning, lightning _

_ Lightning _ ” 

As Blaine sang, Finn, Sam, and Mike fell in love, moving with him as he scooted forward and shuffled back in time to the beat of the drums. It was obvious that they were all dancing for someone. Finn, Sam, and Mike all had girlfriends, but Blaine was unattached, as far as everyone else knew.

Kurt, however, knew that Blaine was dancing for him now. He could tell through their bond, through the way that Blaine was looking at him. There was a hint of hesitation to what Blaine was sending him, but it was there nonetheless. Kurt wasn’t even worried about controlling his body’s reaction now. All he was worried about was watching his soulmate, taking in everything Blaine was giving him. 

As they moved into their “Lightning” part at the end of the song, Blaine climbed back up onto the piano, keeping his back to the band, his right side toward the class. Sam hopped up to sit on the back end of the piano, and Blaine moved to stand over him, just as Danny had done to Kenickie at the end of the song. When Blaine pointed forward, the strap of his tank top slid toward his neck, revealing just a hint of his soulmark.

Kurt could just make out the edges of his name, the dark straight lines of the “K” and the “H” against Blaine’s beautiful olive skin. Suddenly, an idea hit him. He was going to talk to Blaine. Damn their social standings, they were soulmates. They had just connected via their soul bond. Even if Blaine rejected him, Kurt still had to try. He set a determined line, hoping to send some of the strength he was feeling now toward Blaine. Maybe his soulmate would be more sympathetic if he knew how strong Kurt felt right then.

The class applauded loudly, and Rachel, Mercedes, and Tina jumped up to kiss their boyfriends. 

“Blaine!” Schue said, getting out of his chair to slap Blaine on the back. “That performance was amazing!”

“Of course,” Blaine said, brushing off the compliment like it was nothing.

Joy and excitement were still coursing through their soulbond.

“Let’s go to the auditorium, guys,” Schue said, pointing toward the door. “I want to show you all the steps you’ll need to learn for the auditions next week.”

The class cheered and raced toward the door, but Kurt hung back, hoping to catch Blaine. Luckily, he’d stayed behind to collect his jacket, and after a few moments, they were alone in the room. 

Trying to conjure up as much strength as he could, Kurt took a hesitant step toward Blaine. “Um, excuse me?” he asked in a soft voice.

“Yeah?” the other boy answered, not looking at him. He grabbed his coat from where he’d tossed it on the floor and headed out into the hallway toward the auditorium.

Kurt followed closely behind him. “Can I talk to you?” Kurt asked, voice small in the echoey hallway. “I-I think we’re soulmates.”


	5. Chapter 5

At hearing the word “soulmate,” Blaine stopped dead in his tracks, frozen for a moment.  _ This isn’t happening _ . Of course, he’d known it was always a possibility that his soulmate could decide to approach him, but he’d hoped to avoid it as long as he could. Here it was only a few days since their soulbond had formed, and he was already being approached.

“Um, excuse me,” Kurt said again, unsure if Blaine had heard him. When there was still no response, he repeated, “I think we’re soulmates.”

Blaine spun around, sizing up his soulmate with a quick glance. The other boy was dressed in his Cheerios uniform, looking prim and proper with his hair parted and swept to the side, his white tennis shoe laces just grazing the bottom cuff of his pants, and his arms perfectly filling out the tight sleeves of his shirt.  _ Damn! That boy looks fine! _ Attraction rushed through their soulbond, and Blaine’s face colored for a moment. Quickly gathering his composure, he snorted. “I’m not dating a Cheerio.” Then, he turned and headed down the hallway toward the auditorium. He tried to push away the swell of attraction and rush of hormones and blood to all the wrong places, but he was sure the Cheerio felt them anyway. He tried to focus on feeling nothing, completely blank. He didn’t want his soulmate to be able to read him.

Kurt wrinkled his brow. “Wait!” he called after him. “Don’t you want to know if we are or not?” This seemed like a valid point. After all, there was always the smallest chance that they weren’t each other’s soulmate. It was possible, even if it was only like a one percent chance, that somewhere else in the world, there could be another man named Blaine Anderson who just so happened to be feeling the same feelings as the one right in front of him. Your soulmate wasn’t always right in front of you. He knew that. They’d been taught about it in health class. But, he was fairly certain that this Blaine Anderson, the one who seethed a confusing mixture of emotions through their soulbond constantly, was indeed his soulmate. It would just be nice to see some proof.

“No.” Blaine threw the word over his shoulder, never stopping. He didn’t have time for this. Cheerios were stuck up, rude, and judgemental, not the type of person he would ever want to be with. Not even if that Cheerio’s name was beautifully tattooed on his collarbone. Not even if the Cheerio was his soulmate, the one person in life who was supposed to make him feel happy and complete. Not even if every single time that Cheerio sent anything through their soulbond, Blaine felt better and more balanced. No. Blaine Anderson was a badass. He didn’t date Cheerios. At least, that’s what he told himself.

Kurt was not deterred. In fact, the more Blaine turned away from him, the more determined Kurt was becoming. He could feel the hesitation through their soulbond, even if the other boy didn’t think he could. So, he kept pursuing Blaine, following him around the corner and into another hallway. “I’ll show you my mark,” he said. “I’ll show you that your name is tattooed onto my skin.”

“Don’t care.”

“Then, let me see your mark. Maybe there’s another Blaine Anderson I’m supposed to find. Maybe you’re not my soulmate.”

“Go away.” The irritation was clear in Blaine’s voice, and he hoped that the Cheerio was picking up on it. He was tired of this game already, and Kurt had only been following him for a minute. He was also feeling something else...jealousy, maybe? He wasn’t sure; it was a feeling he’d only felt a few times before, but the image of his soulmate with another man lit a fire in his chest.

“Blaine, we need to talk,” Kurt tried. “Can you at least stop to talk to me?”

“No.”

“I know we’re soulmates. Just cut your crap.” Blaine’s resistance was really getting to him. As much as he didn’t want to, his disdain and anger at his soulmate’s denial was radiating through their soulbond. He was sure Blaine could feel every ounce of his frustration and rage. He wished there was a way to scream “I know we’re soulmates; I saw your mark!” through the bond. He’d do it in a heartbeat. Anything would be better than this fruitless endeavor. He knew he and Blaine were soulmates; he knew it with his whole being. He just needed Blaine to admit it.

“No.”

Kurt huffed. He wasn’t sure what to do. It was clear that having a word battle with Blaine wasn’t getting him anywhere. The other boy didn’t seem to care at all about Kurt’s constant stream of questions and begging, but it was getting tiresome. There was no way he could keep it up all the way to the auditorium, and there was an even smaller chance that Blaine would actually give him what he wanted.

Then, Kurt had an idea. Actually, he had a million ideas, but only one of them was good. He dismissed any that involved him pulling off Blaine’s shirt. Those just made him react in all the wrong ways. And, he had to admit, Blaine was likely far stronger than him. He was asking to get hurt if he did something like that. He also dismissed anything that involved singing his feelings. Not only would Blaine not listen, he would just further alienate him, Kurt was sure. His soulmate seemed to be fairly dismissive, and if the anger boiling through their soulbond right now as any indication, Blaine wanted absolutely nothing to with Kurt at the moment. No, this idea had to be something that would catch his attention immediately. Something that would knock him off balance. Yes, Kurt had the perfect idea. If Blaine wanted to be tough, Kurt could play tough. He could stoop to that level. So, squaring his shoulders even as he still followed Blaine, he said, “Well, it doesn’t matter. Pretty soon, everyone will know that you’re my soulmate anyway. My parents are planning a party for me, and I’m going to be showing off my soulmark.”

That stopped Blaine in his tracks. Was this dude serious? Soulmarks were supposed to be private, and damn it all if there wasn’t just a hint of fear running through their soulbond. Maybe he was bluffing? Even still, Blaine couldn’t take any chances. He let everything he was feeling bleed into their soulbond, all the anger, fear, and confusion he was feeling. He didn’t want anyone to know. He couldn’t let anyone know that his soulmate was a Cheerio. 

Whirling around, he spat out through gritted teeth. “Locker room. Now.” Then, he turned back, stomping down the hallway and turning left toward the locker room instead of right toward the auditorium. Fucking Schuester would have to wait. Maybe this would finally get him kicked out of the Glee club.

Checking both ways to make sure no one was in the hallway besides himself and the Cheerio, Blaine shoved into the locker room, quickly going as far back into the dark depths as he could. He couldn’t call his soulmate by his name. He couldn’t even think his name. It was far too intimate; it would make this all seem so real, and Blaine wanted everything about his interactions with his soulmate to be as impersonal as possible. He couldn’t imagine the fall out if his dad or his best friend were to find out the name swirled on his collar bone.

Kurt followed Blaine into the locker room. Had he read that right? Fear? Blaine was afraid? Kurt wanted to send calming sensations through their bond, but he didn’t want Blaine to know he wasn’t being serious; at least, not yet. He needed to have the upper hand if he was going to get through to his soulmate. Talking wasn’t working.

“You can’t tell anyone we’re soulmates,” Blaine ground out when he was sure no one else was in the locker room. “No one can find out.”

“Why not?” Kurt could see the adrenaline coursing through Blaine’s veins in the jittery way he was carrying around himself. Hell, Badass Blaine Anderson was sweating as he stared daggers at Kurt. The Cheerio felt a little bad about playing him, but not enough to bail him out yet.

“No one can find out,” Blaine repeated louder, his face contorting into rage, the emotion surging through their bond. “If anyone finds out I c--” He cut himself off before he could finish. The Cheerio didn’t need to know the reason why. He just had to know it was important.

“What if I want to tell them?” Kurt asked, his own anger growing at the thought of Blaine trying to tell him what he could and could not do. “This soulmate thing is just as much mine as it is yours. What if I want to tell them?” He drew himself up to his full height, leaning in closer to Blaine, closing the small gap between them. He wanted to seem intimidating. He didn’t care what the other boy thought.

Taking a deliberate step forward, Blaine got right in Kurt’s face. “You tell anyone that we’re soulmates, and I’ll make your life here a living hell. You think it’s bad now, with Karofsky picking on you and Azimio tossing slushies in your face? Just wait. Just you wait.” There was clear venom in his voice, and ripples of strength and determination joined the anger in their soulbond.

“What?” Kurt shouted, all pretenses of being nice gone. “What are you going to do to me? Throw me in a locker? A dumpster? Give me swirlies? Hoist me up the flagpole by my underwear? I’m not afraid of you, Blaine Anderson. You may have everyone else at this school fooled, but not me. I know who you are. I know how you feel.”

Blaine swallowed hard. There was truth to that, and he knew it. He knew his soulmate could feel every emotion he felt, every sensation that took over his body. He knew that, and something in himself relaxed a little. Truth be told, it was nice for Blaine to have someone know him. He’d waited his whole life for someone to see past his crap to the real heart of the matter, to the truth of who he was. The Cheerio could be that. His soulmate could be the person who knew everything about him and wanted him despite it all, despite every bad feeling or thought he ever had. His soulmate could be that, and he couldn’t let himself want that from him. He couldn’t let himself be caught up in thinking that someone might actually, for once in his 17 years, care about him. His parents didn’t, his brother never had, his friends hadn’t either. No one had taken the time to get to know him; the thought of that changing scared the shit out of him.

So, he bit his lip for a moment. For a second, indecision swept through him. Then, he said, “You think it’s some gift that you get to feel everything I feel? Well, it’s not. I don’t have to bully you like that, humiliate you in front of the school. All I need to do is let you really feel everything that I feel. That will haunt you. It would be enough to tear you down.”

Unbidden, tears sprang into Kurt’s eyes. He didn’t understand how someone could ever feel like that. It was so obvious to him that Blaine was hurting, that he was carrying around secrets that had wounded him deeply. It was so obvious that Blaine just needed someone to love him, and it broke his heart that Blaine wasn’t going to allow him to be that person in his life. Soulmates were supposed to fill that hole of desire to belong, and Kurt was losing that. “If you’re going to push me away, then let me see your mark. I want to be your soulmate, but if you don’t want to let me in, at least let me know that you’re the one I’m supposed to be with.” He paused for a moment, sniffling. “You know, you’re depriving me of a happy future, too. Not just yourself.” The words were a whisper, but the feelings he was sending through the soulbond made the words hit with so much force.

For half a second, Blaine considered it. He thought about dropping his jacket, pushing aside his tank top strap, and letting his soulmate see his mark. He’d never wanted to do that before, but he sort of did now. The idea almost turned him on, and for a split second, arousal ran through their soulbond. But, just as quickly, the little niggly voice in the back of Blaine’s head told him that this would be a terrible idea. The Cheerio should not see his mark, not ever. He should never know they were soulmates. He didn’t need Blaine to be happy. No one needed Blaine. “No,” he said finally, shoving past Kurt back toward the locker room doors. Schuester would be looking for them by now. No need to be caught in the locker room with a Cheerio.

Kurt didn’t let it go. On the way by Blaine, he grabbed his arm. The bit of skin-on-skin contact between his fingers and Blaine’s wrist sent electricity through him; desire to kiss Blaine and a need to hold him close and reassure him that he was okay overtook him for a minute. He knew Blaine could feel it, felt him stiffen under his grasp. “Show me your mark,” he said, low in the back of his throat. Commanding.

“No.”

“Show me your mark.”

“No!”

“Blaine Anderson. Show me your mark.”

There was no room for argument in the Cheerio’s voice, and Blaine felt the rage swell in him again. With jerky movements, he ripped out of Kurt’s grasp, dropped his jacket to the floor, and ripped the strap of his tank top aside, revealing his soulmark on his right collarbone.

Kurt gasped as his gaze finally graced over his name, beautifully printed against Blaine’s tanned skin.

“Ya happy now?” he growled, yanking the strap back up and snatching his coat from the floor. He marched toward the door.

“Wait. Don’t you want to see mine?” Kurt asked.

“No. I don’t want to fucking see your mark.”

The sentence burned into Kurt’s heart, ripping him into a million pieces.

Blaine could feel it, but he wasn’t finished. “Just leave me the fuck alone.” With that, he disappeared out the door of the locker room, slamming it behind him.

Kurt crumpled to the floor, his body wracked with sobs. He felt like he’d been ripped into a million tiny pieces; nothing and no one, besides Blaine, would ever be able to fix it, he knew. And, Blaine never would. He didn’t want to. He cried, feeling the sadness, the unfairness of it all sweep over him, rushing through their soulbond. He hoped that Blaine felt it, felt every last morsel of his emotions. He’d broken him, and Kurt didn’t ever want him to forget it.


	6. Chapter 6

The next few days were hard. Kurt got very little sleep because of all the emotions coursing through the soulbond. Blaine was relentless. It was almost as if he wasn't trying to suppress his emotions anymore. He was letting them all flow straight to Kurt, making him feel like crying, screaming, and punching something, anything, at the most inappropriate times. Underneath it all, however, the feeling that never wavered was Blaine's anger. Kurt still couldn't figure it out, but he knew after their heated discussion in the locker room that there was far more to Blaine than met the eye. He was a pool of emotions he never acknowledged, and Kurt wondered what had happened to him, what was still happening to him. It was clear that things in Blaine's life weren't all positive.

The following week after the locker room incident were tryouts for  _ Grease _ . 

"Kurt, what part are you auditioning for?" Brit asked, flouncing up to him in the hallway before their last period. "Santana is trying out for Rizzo, and I'm trying out for Kenickie. San says they get to kiss." She winked at him.

"I dunno, Brit. I'm pretty tired. I may not try out. I mean, what's the point?"

Brittany gasped. "The point, Kurt, is it's our senior year! It's our last chance! Mr. Schue will give you a good part."

"I doubt it," Kurt complained. "He'll probably give me Teen Angel. Blaine already has the lead, and he had the other guys play the main parts in class last week."

"I know you'll get a good part," Brit tried. "Mr. Schue--"

"Plays favorites," Kurt cut her off. "And I'm not one of them."

"Yes, you are."

"No, Brit! I'm not!" Kurt's voice was loud, louder than he meant for it to be, and he winced. But, he didn't apologize. He wasn't in the mood. Instead, he just stalked down the hall to history class. He was quiet and moody through the class, warring with himself about going to auditions.  _ I really want to be in Grease _ , he told himself.  _ It's my last chance to be in a high school production. But, I don't want to be stuck playing second fiddle to Rachel Berry. Or, Blaine for that matter. _

When the final bell rang, Kurt found his feet guiding him toward the auditorium. There was a ball of nerves knotting up the pit of his stomach. Normally, he'd be afraid that Blaine could feel it, but he could feel the excitement buzzing through their soulbond, all of it coming from Blaine. It seemed as though his soulmate was in a good mood for the first time since their soulbond had formed.

Shoving through the doors of the auditorium, Kurt found that most of the Glee kids and a few of the band kids were already there. They were crowded into the first few rows of seats, talking animatedly to one another. The room buzzed with excited energy, and Kurt found it hard to keep a tiny smile off of his face. He didn't join his fellow students, though. He slipped into a seat a few rows back at the edge of the auditorium and looked around. 

Blaine and Mr. Schue were sitting behind the tiny desk in the middle of the auditorium. Schue was showing something to Blaine, and the curly-haired boy was nodding along, looking at the notepad in front of Mr. Schue intently. Blaine was dressed breathtakingly as always, even if Kurt was sure he'd never be able to rock the bad boy look himself. The leather and ribbed tank tops suited Blaine. 

Finally, Mr. Schue stood up and announced, "You guys, welcome to auditions for  _ Grease _ ! I'm very excited all of you are eager to try out; it's going to be a great musical! Are you ready to get started?"

The students in the front few rows clapped excitedly, and Rachel and Finn leapt up to take the stage first. "Mr. Schue," Rachel said loudly, standing in front of Finn, "Finn and I have chosen to audition together as we feel that we would make a wonderful Danny and Sandy pair."

Schue began to speak, but Rachel held out a hand to stop him.

"We know you've already chosen Blaine for your Danny, but we hope you'll see that Finn would be a better fit. For our audition piece, we've chosen to sing a  _ Grease _ classic,  _ You're the One That I Want _ ." She smiled that wide, annoying grin of hers before turning to Brad and shouting, "Hit it!" 

Kurt almost couldn't watch. Rachel and Finn were just so cheesy. He didn't know how any of their friends put up with either one of them. Rachel was loud, obnoxious, and rude most of the time, only concerned for herself, and Finn was about as dimwitted as they came. Kurt felt a little bit sorry for Finn's mother. She seemed like a sweet lady, but Finn would take a toll on most people, he knew. 

After their song, everyone applauded appropriately, but not overly excitedly. They were ready for their own turns on stage, and Rachel was trying to steal all their glory. 

Up next was Quinn. Kurt had always admired her a little, even though they often found themselves in direct competition with one another for solos in Glee club and head cheerleader on the Cheerios. Quinn had a beautiful voice, however, and the song she chose for her audition piece,  _ Colors of the Wind _ from  _ Pocahontas _ , was simple and beautiful. She did it well, and Kurt was proud of her.

"Quinn, that was beautiful," Mr. Schue told her when the final notes had died away. "How would you feel about playing Sandy?"

A small look of surprise flitted over Quinn's face, but she quickly schooled her features, smiling softly. "I'd be honored, Mr. Schue."

Rachel stood to protest, but Schue spoke before she ever had a chance to open her mouth. "Nothing is official yet, Rachel."

Next, Tina and Mike took the stage. They chose  _ A Whole New World _ from  _ Aladdin _ , and despite Mike's insistence that he couldn't sing, Kurt really enjoyed their performance. He'd always liked Tina's voice, stunning in its softness; the song they'd chosen really showed that off beautifully. 

When they were finished, Mr. Schue called, "That was wonderful, guys. Mike, any idea who you'd like to play?"

Mike paused at the steps of the stage. “Uh,” he stuttered. “Maybe...Doody? Or Sonny?”

“Those parts have singing,” Schue warned, glancing down at the notepad. 

“I know. I think I can handle it,” he reassured.

“You did great,” Blaine called to Mike, grinning and giving him a thumbs-up.

Kurt whipped around, doing a double-take of his soulmate. Had he actually said that? He had actually encouraged someone instead of looking down his nose at them? What the…

After that, Santana and Brittany took the stage.

“What parts are you auditioning for, girls?” Schue asked, jotting something down on his notepad. 

“I’m going for Rizzo. She can kick ass, and she looks pretty rockin’ in her outfits,” Santana announced, winking at the rest of the Glee kids. 

“And, I’m trying out for Kenickie!” Brittany beamed at their teacher. “San says Rizzo and Kenickie get to kiss.”

Mr. Schue frowned but didn’t say anything about Brittany’s chosen part. “What song are you girls singing?”

“We’re doing  _ Defying Gravity _ ,” Santana replied, flipping her hair. “Hit it!” She stuck out her tongue at Rachel as she turned to take her place on stage.

“Mr. Schue!” Rachel called, pointing at the stage. “Sant--” But, at that moment, the music began, drowning out her cries of unfairness.

Everyone applauded loudly after Santana and Brittany finished their song. They’d really done a great job. They’d taken the song down a few tones to make it more in Brittany’s range, and they’d both sung the crap out of it. Kurt made sure to applaud extra loudly. These girls were the closest thing he had to friends, and he’d been a bitch to Brit earlier. He felt pretty guilty now.

After that, a few of the band kids took the stage to do a group number. Kurt didn’t pay much attention to them, especially after they told Mr. Schue that they were hoping to get some of the smaller background parts in the show. He’d never gotten to know the band kids, and seeing as how it was his senior year, he had no plans to change that before he graduated in a few months. It wasn’t that he had anything against the band kids. In fact, he admired them. He wished he knew how to play as many instruments as so many of them seemed, but playing music didn’t come as easily to him as singing did. He’d taken piano lessons for a few years, and he’d had a tough time picking up the techniques. Still, the band kids were in a group of their own, and he wasn’t going to try to infiltrate it. He applauded nicely when they were finished, but he wasn’t invested in their performance.

The last to take the stage was Artie. He rolled to the front of the stage and announced that it was his intention to audition for Kenickie. “I think it’s time we showed that handy-capable kids are badasses, too.”

That comment pulled a smile from Blaine, but he stayed quiet, watching as Artie got ready.

“And, what are you singing?” Schue asked.

“Only the most badass song of the decade,” Artie replied. “ _ Break Your Heart _ by Taio Cruz.”

The Glee kids all applauded wildly, and the music began. Artie did well, Kurt had to admit. He had come up with some cool moves from his chair, and he’d chosen a song that really fit his vocal talents. He was definitely going to get Kenickie. He deserved it.

“Great job, Artie,” Mr. Schue congratulated him when the song was over.

“Yeah. You really sounded like a badass,” Blaine said, grinning at him.

Kurt was surprised again. This was totally not the soulmate he had talked to in the locker room. What had changed?

“Great job, everyone,” Schue called. “You can all go. I’ll be posting the cast list in the next few days.”

There was a loud cheer as the auditorium emptied of students; somehow, no one noticed Kurt tucked to the side of the auditorium. Even though he knew he should, Kurt didn’t make a move to get up, content to stay for a few minutes. Part of him wanted to talk to his soulmate.

Schue sat back down, turning to look at Blaine. “So,” he said, “what did you think?” 

Apparently, Schue was letting Blaine help with casting. That was nice. Someone needed to do something nice for Blaine. Maybe that explained his good mood and the ball of excitement he’d sent through their soulbond earlier.

“Was that everyone?” Blaine asked, glancing down at his sheet. He pointed to a name, looking up at Schue.

“Mercedes is out sick this week, and she said she’d help with stage crew and props. So, I think that’s it.” He trailed off. “Well, I thought Kurt would audition,” Mr. Schue added, “but he’s not here. So…”

“I’m here,” Kurt said suddenly, standing up before he knew what he was doing.

Schue looked surprised. “Kurt! How long have you been sitting there?”

“The whole time,” Kurt admitted softly, glancing down at his shoes.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Honestly?” He glanced between the two sitting behind the little desk. “I wasn’t sure I wanted to audition. I’m not sure there’s a good role for me.”

Mr. Schue opened his mouth to say something then closed it again. He sighed and glanced at Blaine then back at Kurt.

Kurt wondered for a moment if Schue could feel some tension. There was definitely something new running through their soulbond. He’d felt it as soon as he stood up. He’d expected Blaine to be angry, but he wasn’t. Instead, there was confusion, maybe a hint of fear, and a strange mixture of happiness and attraction. Did his soulmate find his Cheerios uniform attractive? Blaine all but wore his confusion on his face, and Kurt knew his face was painted with exactly what he was feeling: sadness and exhaustion.

“Do you want to try out, Kurt?” Schue finally asked, breaking the silence.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I don’t think there’s a good part for me.”

“What part do you think you could handle?”

Kurt shrugged, his hands slapping against his legs loudly. “Teen Angel?” he asked. 

“What are you going to sing?” Schue asked, nodding at Brad who was still seated behind the piano.

“ _ As If We Never Said Goodbye _ ,” Kurt said. “By Barbara.”

“Rachel would have your head if she were here,” Schue commented, amused. “Whenever you’re ready, Kurt.”

Nodding at Brad, Kurt listened to the opening strains of the song.

“ _ I don't know why I'm frightened _

_ I know my way around here _

_ The cardboard trees, the painted seas, the sound here _

_ Yes, a world to rediscover _

_ But I'm not in any hurry _

_ And I need a moment _ ”

Kurt could feel things changing within his soulbond. Blaine was feeling more emotions, more sadness this time. More attraction. Their soulbond seemed to thrum with Blaine’s emotions, and Kurt turned his gaze on the other boy, singing directly to him.

“ _ The whispered conversations _

_ In overcrowded hallways _

_ The atmosphere is thrilling here as always _

_ Feel the early morning madness _

_ Feel the magic in the making _

_ Why, everything's as if we never said goodbye _ ”

The verse reminded him of their conversation in the locker room, and he hoped that Blaine would recognize it, too. Even still, Kurt put every ounce of his emotion into their soulbond, sending Blaine his sorries, his frustration, his longing to be with his soulmate. Despite his best intentions, Kurt really wasn’t sure he could let Blaine go. He knew he’d implied as much when he forced the other boy to show him his soulmark, but he didn’t think he could go through with it. His initial reaction on the night he’d gotten his soulmark was gone, the disbelief and anger that Fate had been messing with him. He was drawn to Blaine now, every part of him. More than anything, he wanted him to feel better.

“ _ I've spent so many mornings just trying to resist you _

_ I'm trembling now, you can't know how I've missed you _

_ Missed the fairytale adventure _

_ In this ever-spinning playground _

_ We were young together _ ”

Now, Kurt was tearing up. Even if it had been only a few days, he’d spent time resenting his soulmate. He’d spent time wishing Fate had been wrong. He’d tried to avoid being near Blaine. And, when he’d finally given in to his need to know if the other boy was his soulmate, he’d been shot down, yelled at, turned away. Blaine had all but said that they’d never be together, and Kurt would never know the fairytale feeling of being with his soulmate. He’d never get to miss Blaine, really miss him, because they’d never be together. He’d never get to be young with his soulmate. He already hated the idea, and he had a whole lifetime ahead of him to feel this broken over the loss of someone he’d never really had.

His voice was breaking, and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to go on. Still, he plunged on valiantly.

“ _ I'm coming out of makeup _

_ The light's already burning _

_ Not long until the cameras will start turning _

_ And the early morning madness _

_ And the magic in the making _

_ Yes, everything's as if we never said goodbye _ ”

The next thing Kurt knew, the music was coming to an end. Glancing toward the table, he could see Mr. Schue’s hand in the air, but Blaine was hiding his face, leaning back to camouflage himself in the shadows at the back of the auditorium. Kurt tried desperately to feel what Blaine was feeling through their soulbond, but his emotions were too overwhelming. Slowly, he sank to the floor of the stage, pulling his knees to his chest.

“Are you okay?” Mr. Schue called to him.

Kurt could only nod. He didn’t trust his voice.

“That was amazing, Kurt. I could feel the emotions in your voice. You obviously have a connection to that song, and I think you could have real depth as an actor for  _ Grease _ . Are you sure you want to be Teen Angel?”

Kurt shrugged. “Whatever you think is best,” he whispered wetly.

Mr. Schue nodded. “Thank you for auditioning, Kurt. I’ll have the cast list out in a few days.”

“Thank you,” Kurt replied breathily, nodding. He didn’t move from his curled up spot on the floor, not even when Mr. Schue left with Blaine trailing after him, not even when Brad walked off the stage, not even the last band kid turned off the stage lights before leaving out the back door. Kurt stayed where he was, absorbed in his thoughts and feelings. For once, Blaine’s emotions weren’t taking him over. He was alone with himself. 

Eventually, when he felt ready, he rose and walked home, inexplicably feeling a bit better. Whatever Blaine was trying to send him was soothing.

***

By Friday that week, Mr. Schue had the cast list up. Everyone gathered around to view what it said, but Kurt stayed back, glancing at the toes of his white Cheerios shoes and waiting for everyone to leave. Finally, when he could be alone, he went to look at the list. He gasped, not sure he should believe what it said.

Cast List for the Spring Musical,  _ Grease _ :

Stage and Set: Mercedes Jones

Marty: Brittany S. Pierce

Jan: Rachel Berry

Frenchie: Tina Cohen-Chang

Doody: Mike Chang

Sonny: Finn Hudson

Putzie: Artie Abrams

Rizzo: Santana Lopez

Sandy: Quinn Fabrey

Danny: Blaine Anderson

Kenickie: Kurt Hummel

There were a few names beneath his listing band kids and the small parts they’d received, but Kurt didn’t read any further than his own name. He couldn’t.  _ No way. I’ve been cast as Kenickie? _ He and Blaine were going to be spending a lot more time together.


	7. Chapter 7

Kurt had to admit that the past few weeks since the cast list for  _ Grease _ had gone up had been hard. Blaine, despite showing great sympathy for his fellow Glee Club members at the auditions, had been back to his regular self. Kurt didn’t know why he’d been acting differently that day, but it certainly hadn’t been a permanent change. In fact, since officially getting the lead in the spring musical, Blaine’s behavior had gone from bad to worse. He was arguing with Mr. Schue, getting sent to the principal’s office left and right, and starting fights among the Glee Clubbers. Worst of all, at least in Kurt’s opinion, was that he was completely ignoring Kurt in their rehearsals for their scenes together. Like, completely. He’d say his lines at him instead of to him, and he’d ignore any hand gesture or scene direction Kurt tried to implement. It was getting increasingly frustrating, and by the end of the third week of rehearsals, Kurt was ready to call it quits. Even if Blaine was his soulmate, he was tired of the two of them constantly butting heads.

“Mr. Schue,” Kurt said on Thursday evening after practice, “I need to talk to you.”

“What’s up, Kurt?” Schue asked, not looking up from where he was scribbling notes onto his copy of the script.

“I want to quit the musical.”

“What?!” His teacher dropped his pen at that, whipping his head up to look Kurt full in the face. “What do you mean you want to quit the musical?”

“I can’t work with Blaine anymore. He just doesn’t respond when we rehearse. And, I don’t think I’m really a good fit for Kenickie. I’m not really the ‘man’s man’ type, and you need a real scrapper to play him. I’m sorry, Mr. Schue. It’s just not working for me.” Kurt dropped his head, staring at the ground as he scuffed the toe of his shoe across the stage floor.

“Kurt, do you know why I cast you as Kenickie?” Mr. Schue asked. He answered his own question before Kurt could even speak. “I cast you as Kenickie because I thought you could do it. I wanted to push your limits as an actor and give you a role you could be proud of. It’s your senior year, Kurt. Do you really want to leave high school without doing the spring musical in your senior year?”

“No!” he all but shouted. “No, I don’t. But, I can’t work with Blaine. And, I can’t be someone I’m not.”

“You, yourself, can’t be someone you're not. But, you can pretend. That’s what acting is, pretending to be someone else. It’s supposed to be fun.” Schue could see that he wasn’t quite getting through to Kurt. “What do you want to study when you go to college?” Schue asked, rounding the piano to step closer to the young boy.

“My top choices are AMDA in Manhattan or the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. I want to double major in Acting and Musical Theatre. I’m hoping that between the musicals and plays we’ve done and the performances I’ve done for Coach Sue, it will be enough to get me in somewhere.”

“That’s great, Kurt,” Schue replied, slapping him on the shoulder. “I’m glad to hear that. But, wouldn’t your resume look even better if you could add a major role like Kenickie to it? If you could prove to your teachers that you could play a ‘manlier’ role like Kenickie?”

“I guess…” Kurt admitted. “But, I just don’t think I can take working with Blaine!”

“I’ll talk to Blaine, okay? Just...promise me you won’t quit the musical.”

Kurt heaved a sigh. He’d give it one more try. “Fine. I’ll stay.”

"Thank you, Kurt. Thank you for giving it another chance."

Kurt nodded and backed out of the auditorium. He wasn't sure he was happy with his decision, but he'd give it another chance. It hurt him to consider being away from his soulmate, missing out on a chance to do something that he loved one last time with his friends. But, the stress of being on stage with a soulmate who wouldn’t acknowledge him wasn’t worth it. Kurt would prefer to graduate high school without wrinkles and crow's feet if he could help it.

The next day at rehearsal, Schue approached Blaine before they began. "Blaine. Can I talk to you?" Schue asked, beckoning to the boy.

Blaine followed him to the side of the stage, eyeing him suspiciously. He didn't really trust the teacher. He'd wanted to get kicked out of the Glee Club, and Schue had told him more than once that he was on thin ice. If he was being honest with himself, Blaine was pretty excited to be playing Danny. He was proud of what he could bring to the character. Hell, he was even brain-stormimg a way to tell the guys. He didn't want to be kicked now, and if Schue was going to take away the part, Blaine would have something to say about that.

“Are you doing okay?” Schue asked him when they were out of range of the other students. “You’ve been acting out a lot, and I wanted to make sure there was nothing going on.”

“I’m fine.” Blaine was terse, but he didn’t want to risk giving anything away. Truth be told, there was something going on. Really, when wasn’t there something going on? Living with his divorced father and senile grandfather was far from a great life, especially when the primary care for his grandfather fell on his shoulders. As if he didn’t have enough to worry about. Things were getting worse, almost worse than they’d ever been. His dad had been fired. Again. They had no money. His dad wasn’t getting unemployment. Blaine couldn’t work and care for his grandfather at the same time. And, to top it off, his dad was back to drinking and gambling. So, no. He wasn’t okay. But, he didn’t expect anybody to care or help him. So, he hid it beneath his mask and kept quiet. 

“Are you sure?” Schue searched the boy’s gaze, trying to read him. There were so many layers to Blaine, layers that were impenetrable. Sometimes, Schue was sure he saw an emotion in the boy’s eyes, but most of the time, Blaine was rock solid, shoving his emotions behind the curtain where no one would see them. Schue hoped that when his soulmate found him, he’d finally be able to break down those walls. Blaine obviously needed someone to care about him.

“Yeah.” Again, the answer was short.

“Okay. Well, you know that if you ever have a problem, you can come and talk to me. Right, Blaine?”

“Yeah. Sure.” He turned to walk away, but Schue called to him again.

“Wait. There’s one more thing I need to talk to you about.”

Blaine spun on his heel, waiting.

“ I need you to try and get along better with Kurt. Whatever your problems are with him outside of rehearsals need to stay outside of rehearsals. This is what he wants to do for a career, and the suggestions he is making are good ones. I've known him a long time, and it seems like he's getting close to walking out. I think the two of you have the potential to have great chemistry, and I can't see anyone else fulfilling the role of Kenickie like he will. ”

“Sure,” Blaine responded, ever the picture of composure. “Anything else?” Inside, he was a mess, and he knew his soulmate could feel it.  _ Damn! _ He didn’t want Kurt to quit the musical. It was soothing, in some weird way he would never admit to or talk about, to have Kurt nearby every day, to be able to breathe in his scent and watch him move and talk. He just couldn’t let it show. There was a fine line to walk between ignoring his feelings and acting on them, and he wanted to stay as far away from acting on them as he could. It was far too dangerous, especially if his father were to ever find out his soulmate was a boy.

“That should do it,” Schue replied with a smile. “Thanks, Blaine.”

Blaine wandered off to another part of the stage, and Schue called the rehearsal to order. “Okay, guys!” he hollered to be heard over the ruckus. “Let’s get started! I want to work on the Summer Nights scene. So, I need girls at the lunch tables over there, boys at the bleachers. And, boys? I want you to wear your T-Bird jackets. Get them off the racks. Come on. Let’s be quick.” Schue clapped a few times, clutching his clipboard as he left the stage to take a seat in the first row. They’d practiced this scene a few times already, but Finn kept tripping over his feet as they moved through the bleachers, and they couldn’t risk a bloody nose the night of the performance. When everyone was in their places, he yelled, “Action!”

Mike, as Doody said, “Hey! I wanna hear about Danny’s summer at the beach.”

“Yeah!” the guys chorused. “Yeah! Tell us, Danny!”

“Nah. You guys don’t wanna hear about that. It was nothin’,” Blaine responded, waving the guys away.

“Sure. Nothin’ Zuko,” Kurt said, leaning in close and nudging Blaine’s leg with his elbow. He’d seen the movie a million times and practiced his parts in his mirror at least that many times. He knew what he was doing.

“You got into her pants, right?” Finn as Sonny asked, and everyone laughed, cheering Blaine on. “Come on! Tell us about that girl!” Then, the guys froze as the girls began to act out their part.

“What did you do this summer, Sandy?” Tina as Frenchie asked.

“Oh, I spent most of my summer at the beach,” Quinn replied, grinning widely. “I met a boy there.”

“You met a boy at the beach?” Santana asked, gazing at her nails as if this was the most boring thing in the world.

“He was sorta special,” Quinn went on. “It was really romantic.” Then, the girls froze as the boys began again.

“Come on! Come on!” They all harassed Blaine, leaning in really close. 

They were supposed to be razzing him, getting him all riled up, but Blaine looked like he was glaring at Kurt. And, Kurt wasn’t sure why. This was the opposite of what had happened the last few times they’d rehearsed this scene. Blaine had completely ignored him then. Now, it seemed like he was paying too much attention to Kurt.

“You guys don’t wanna hear all the nasty details,” Blaine said, a funny expression on his face.

“Yeah!” all the guys cheered again. “Come on, Danny.”

“Fine! I’ll tell you!” Blaine put his hands in front of himself. He was supposed to push lightly at the guys to get them to back off as the music started, but he shoved Kurt a little harder than strictly necessary. His soulmate was more distracting than usual, and it was pissing him off. He wasn’t sure if it was the T-Birds jacket or the hairdo the Cheerio was sporting since he insisted on fixing his hair like Kenickie for practice, but Blaine was having a hard time controlling himself. And, all the anger he was feeling was going straight through their soulbond.

Kurt flashed Blaine a confused look as the music started, regaining his balance without Mr. Schue even realizing he’d been shoved. He kept an eye on his soulmate as they began to do their dance, making their way toward Putzie, played by Artie, at the bottom of their risers that Mr. Schue had rigged to look like stadium seats.

The girls, on the other side of the stage, began to dance around their lunch table as Blaine sang his first line.

“ _ Summer lovin' had me a blast _

_ Summer lovin' happened so fast _

_ I met a girl crazy for me _

_ Met a boy cute as can be _

_ Summer days driftin' away, to uh-oh those summer nights _ ”

As they’d been instructed to, Kurt and the other boys danced around Blaine as he directed their movements to the left and right, slowly making their way to the floor. They’d been told to look super interested in what Blaine was saying, and Kurt thought he was doing a fairly decent job following Mr. Schue’s directions. However, Blaine kept giving him a funny look, and there was another emotion running through their soulbond beneath the anger that Kurt couldn’t quite name. 

The girls on the other side of the stage seemed to be having a great time. They were all smiles and easy dancing as they fawned over Quinn who was making heart eyes into the abyss as she thought about Blaine, her Danny.

“ _ Uh Well-a well-a well-a huh _

_ Tell me more, tell me more _

_ Did you get very far? _

_ Tell me more, tell me more _

_ Like does he have a car? _

_ Uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh _ ”

Hopping to the floor, Blaine began twisting his knees in and out just like John Travolta had in the original movie. He looked straight ahead, again not responding to anything Kurt or any of the other guys were doing as they danced around him, hoping down from the steps and sliding in and out of Blaine’s personal space.

Kurt could feel his irritation building again toward his soulmate. Why did he insist on being the lead in the musical if he didn’t want to actually participate with any of the other actors? It made no sense, and he sort of wished Blaine would just quit. Not that he would get the lead or even wanted it, but he didn’t want his last school musical to fail because Blaine couldn’t get along with anyone else.  _ Go smoke a cigarette _ , Kurt thought to himself as he sang.  _ That’s obviously what you’d rather be doing _ .

“ _ She swam by me, she got a cramp _

_ He ran by me, got my suit damp _

_ I saved her life, she nearly drowned _

_ He showed off, splashing around _

_ Summer sun, something's begun, but uh-oh those summer nights _

_ Uh well-a well-a well-a huh _ ”

Despite his irritation, when Blaine put his hands on his hips to sing, throwing his shoulders back so that his jacket barely slid off his shoulders, revealing the edge of his soulmark, Kurt couldn’t quite keep himself from gawking. And, while he was gawking, he was supposed to be dancing. And, while he was supposed to be dancing, he couldn’t really keep himself from touching Blaine. So, he maybe just reached out a hand and let his fingertips graze the back of Blaine’s thigh, just for a split second. And, maybe that touch felt like heaven. And, maybe Kurt really wanted to do it again, forgetting for a moment that Blaine was feeling all the arousal coursing through his body.

Blaine, for his part, didn’t care for the touch and the subsequent feelings. He didn’t like them at all, and it, of course, had nothing to do with the fact that he felt those emotions, too. Okay, it had everything to do with that, and he had no intention of letting his soulmate know how much he had affected him with just his fingertips. So, he turned a sharp glare to the Cheerio, hoping that would be enough to keep him from doing it again.

“ _ Tell me more, tell me more _

_ Was it love at first sight? _

_ Tell me more, tell me more _

_ Did she put up a fight? _

_ Uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh-uh-huh _ ”

Part of the planned choreography included Kurt cutting Blaine off as he moved to the left, toward where Artie was still sitting, dancing with his hands. However, because of the touch and his raging hormones, Kurt couldn’t pull off the move entirely as intended. Instead of simply stepping in front of the other boy to cut him off, Kurt let his fingertips glide over Blaine’s chest, catching the edge of his soulmark on his way past. The touch sent an even more powerful surge of electricity through their soulbond, and Kurt stumbled a bit at that. He’d not been expecting to have his mind blown.

Apparently, Blaine wasn’t either as he cut off singing, turning to look at Kurt. At first, his pupils were blown as the wave of ecstasy he was feeling washed through him. Then, just as quickly, his gaze turned to an angry fire, and he reached out his hands, shoving Kurt. “What the fuck, man?” he screeched.

Kurt turned wide eyes to his soulmate, surprised by the outburst. He had no idea what to say.

Blaine shoved him again. “What the fuck was that?”

There was still no response.

“Blaine--” Mr. Schue began, standing to make his way to the stage.

It was too late. Blaine was already overcome with his conflicted emotions, and he had absolutely no filter. “What do you want?” he spat, getting in Kurt’s face. “You want me to kiss you?” 

There was a split second where Kurt wasn’t sure what was going to happen. He was gazing into Blaine’s eyes, closer to his face than he’d ever been before. He could read so many emotions there, but his brain, low on oxygen because he couldn’t breathe with his soulmate that close, couldn’t accurately identify any of them. Then, the next thing he knew, there were warm, wet, soft, insistent lips covering his.


	8. Chapter 8

Electric. Fire. Perfect. Those were the first three words that ran through Kurt's mind when Blaine's tantalizing lips pressed against his for the first time. There was so much sensation and emotion packed into that one kiss that for that single moment, he forgot about the anger that had been surging through their soulbond moments before. He forgot about the tension and the surprise of Blaine yelling at him. For one split second, Kurt was floating on the feelings of perfection and rightness surrounding that kiss.

Then, just as quickly, the moment was broken by one loud "Woah!" right in his ear, straight from the mouth of one Finn Hudson.

Suddenly, the anger, fear, and frustration came flooding back, and Kurt shoved at Blaine's chest, breaking their kiss and the last of the spell. "What the fuck?" he shouted, glaring at the other boy. "Why would you do that?"

For once, Blaine didn't have a smart comeback. He didn't have something witty and biting to say. He just had silence… That kiss… That was nothing like he'd thought it would be. He'd kissed other people before, boys and girls. Mostly girls because, well, no one else knew how he felt about boys. He'd kissed Puckerman once on a fucking drunken dare, and that one kiss had been far better than any girl he'd ever kissed. It had felt...right. Warm and firm like kisses were supposed to feel. Girls were too fruity and soft and...wet. Gross. But even that one kiss with Puckerman had been nothing like this kiss with Kurt. Blaine was  _ feeling  _ things, and he didn't have room in his brain to process Kurt's anger. He could barely process what he’d felt with Kurt’s mouth beneath his.

Kurt had no such issues. "Why would you kiss me in front of everyone like that?" he shouted, shoving out of Mr. Schue's arm trying to wrap around his shoulders.

"Everybody, take five," Schue called to the class. He spoke quieter to Kurt as he tried to smooth out the situation. "Everyone needs to take a breath and calm down. We ca--"

"I will not calm down!" Kurt fumed, pacing a few steps away before whirling and pointing a finger at Blaine, his voice dark and angry. "Why would you fucking kiss me like that in front of everyone when you as much as told me that you wanted nothing to do with me a few weeks ago?" His eyes flashed as he stared at Blaine, waiting for an answer.

"I--" He knew it was a weak excuse, whatever was about to come out of his mouth, but he felt guilty suddenly.  _ Can Kurt tell?  _ he wondered. He didn't think so. All he could feel coming from Kurt was anger, and the emotion was strong.

"Kurt, don't use language like that. Let's talk out this problem like men," Schue said, feeling very much like he was helping.

"I already tried that," Kurt growled. "He owes me a fucking answer."

“I--I’m so sorry.”

For the briefest moment, surprise flashed across Kurt’s face. That was the last thing he’d expected to come out of Blaine’s mouth. He’d expected to be told to get over it or that he deserved it for getting in his face. But...an apology? No. He quickly schooled his features, however. Blaine should apologize. He should feel guilty. Suddenly, Kurt wanted to make him suffer in front of everyone. He wanted snotty, stuck-up, too-cool-for-school Blaine Anderson to be embarrassed in front of the entire class. “I don’t want to hear sorry,” Kurt replied hottily. “I want to know why.”

“I don--I di--I don’t know…”

Kurt sucked in a deep breath, taking a few steps closer to Blaine until he was right in his face.

“Kurt,” Mr. Schue said, warningly. “Back off.” He stood helplessly off to the side. There was something going on here, something he didn’t understand.

“Tell them,” Kurt ground out. “You wanted to kiss me? Then, you need to tell everyone who I am.”

“I can’t…” Blaine whispered softly, emotion clogging his throat. “Please.”

“Tell them,” Kurt demanded again.

“No. Please.”

Kurt searched his soulmate’s eyes for a second. There was something hiding behind them, but that’s not what he was reading. He was reading the tears. There were real, actual tears forming in Blaine’s eyes, and suddenly, Kurt felt as though he’d done something very, very wrong. He was the one humiliated, not Blaine. Immediately, he backed off, looking at his soulmate from further away. He looked so sad.

“I’m sorry,” Blaine whispered again, his gaze falling to the ground.

“I quit.” The words came out before he’d really had a chance to process them, but Kurt knew as soon as they left his lips that they were the right ones.

“What?” Mr. Schue asked loudly, his voice grabbing the attention of others around the stage. “Kurt, you don’t have to quit. I’m sure we can work this out.”

Shaking his head resolutely, Kurt only had eyes for his soulmate. “I quit,” he repeated softer. He hoped Blaine would understand what he meant.

“Don’t quit,” Blaine murmured. “Please.”

Nope. He hadn’t gotten it. There was only one thing he could do. “I quit,” he said again, turning and walking down the stage steps, heading toward the back of the auditorium.

“Kurt, where are you going?” Rachel called after him. “You can’t quit! I didn’t, not even after I had the part of Sandy ripped from my grasp, a part that was rightfully mine.”

“Shut up, Rachel!” came a chorus from behind him, but Kurt didn’t turn around.

“Please come back?” Britt pled. “I don’t want to play Kenickie now. Even if I would get to kiss Santana.”

Kurt said nothing, continuing to walk toward the back door of the auditorium. 

“Kurt, you need to come back to rehearsal,” Mr. Schue called again. “We need you for practice today.”

Still ignoring the pleas for him to come back, when he reached the back door of the auditorium, Kurt turned and looked at his soulmate. Blaine was watching him intently, and Kurt could tell that beneath the sadness and embarrassment coursing through their soulbond, there was something new coming from Blaine that Kurt couldn’t identify. For his part, Kurt was still feeling fairly angry. Blaine had kissed him, and that was completely unfair, especially after his refusal to even acknowledge that Kurt was his soulmate. And, that kiss had been magnificent, made even more wonderful because of their soulbond. Truth be told, Kurt wouldn’t wish that kiss away from anything, but it still wasn’t fair; Blaine needed to come to his senses on that. Somehow, in that pregnant look they shared before Kurt walked out of the auditorium, he knew that was exactly what was about to happen.

“Kurt, wait!” Blaine shouted, leaping into action and sprinting off the stage, racing toward the door Kurt had just exited through. “I need to talk to you! Wait!” Blaine was surprised that Kurt was waiting for him in the hallway just outside the auditorium, one leg propped against the wall as he waited for him to approach.

“That’s the first time you’ve called me by my name,” the taller boy observed, watching his soulmate closely.

Blaine blushed, glancing down at the floor. He hadn’t even realized he was doing it. “I-I need to apologize to you,” he stammered.

“You tried that on stage; an apology really isn’t what I need to hear from you.” Kurt’s voice was soft, measured, but there was emotion behind his words, too. Blaine needed to know he was serious.

“What do you want from me?” Blaine asked, shoving his hands into his pockets. The move didn’t feel right, but he didn’t know what else to do. “I need you to know that I’m sorry...for everything.”

“An apology is just words, Blaine. How do I know you mean it?” Kurt asked, pushing away from the wall to stand closer to his soulmate. “I mean, a few days ago you told me you’d never acknowledge who I was, and now you’re kissing me on a stage in front of the entire Glee Club. Right after you shoved me more than once.” He chuckled dryly. “I don’t know if you know this, but that’s pretty confusing.”

“I know,” Blaine answered, his eyes not leaving the floor. “I know it is; I-I’m confused myself.”

“Well, I doubt I can help you. Maybe it would be best if you just went back to Glee practice and I go home; I don’t think this musical is for me anyway.”

“You-you can’t quit, Kurt,” Blaine blurted. “I need you to be there; I need you in Glee Club.”

Kurt arched an eyebrow. “Why?”

“I don-don’t know.”

“Very compelling,” Kurt sighed. “I’m going home.”

“No! Wait!”

“What, then?” Kurt whirled around, glaring down at his soulmate. He could sense vulnerability in Blaine. He’d never once heard him stutter over his words, and in the last few minutes, he’d hadn’t really heard him utter a complete thought. There had to be something behind it, and Kurt was determined to figure out what it was, to have his soulmate explain why he was the way he was. “Can you give me something better than I don’t know? Because, that doesn’t solve our problems here, Blaine. And, you seem to be the one with the problem; not me.” He was a little surprised by the words coming out of his mouth. He hadn’t realized until Blaine had laid that perfect kiss on him just how angry and upset he was, both with his soulmate and with the predicament he found himself in. Finding his soulmate was supposed to be one of the happiest moments of his life. Some people didn’t get to find their soulmates while they were still seniors in high school; he was one of the lucky ones, but right now, he felt anything but lucky.

“I’m still processing this,” Blaine murmured, daring to look up to meet Kurt’s withering gaze. “Bu-but I know this hasn’t been easy for you; I’ve put you through hell, and you should be angry at me.”

Kurt blinked for a moment, surprised. Where was badass Blaine Anderson, and who was this nervous teenager in front of him?   
  


“I-All my life, I’ve been afraid of who my soulmate would be. I knew I was gay by the time I was in first grade, and my dad never hid the fact that he couldn’t have a gay son. I think that’s what finally drove him and my mom apart; well, that and his drinking. When she left, his remarks about gay people, about me...they just got worse. I’ve never even come out to him, because I’ve heard what he calls them when he sees them on TV or walking down the street. I know he’d call me names, maybe even kick me out.” Blaine stopped, shrugging and staring at the carpet again. “If it wasn’t for my grandfather, taking care of him, I probably would have moved out already. I’ve got some money; I can afford to live on my own. But, I can’t leave Grandpa with my dad, not when he’s barely conscious most of the day.” Blaine took a breath, knowing that he was nowhere near finished explaining himself to Kurt.

“When I finally got my soulmark, I thought all of this would end. I thought I’d be able to finally have someone to confide in, someone who would understand me and love me for the guy I am. Even though I knew it would be hard, I almost hoped my soulmate would turn out to be a girl, and I’d just been wrong about myself all this time. A girl would be easier; my dad would accept a girl. And, when it was you, I felt like my heart was going to break. But, I prepared myself. I came to school the next day prepared to talk to you. I went to your locker, intending to talk to you, but you cowered in fear; I knew then you didn’t know who I was yet.” Blaine took in a deep, shuddering breath as he moved toward the wall, sliding down until he was curled up on the floor, his arms wound ‘round his legs. “And, I was so ashamed that you were afraid of me that I knew I’d never be able to talk with you. So, I gave up before you even knew who I was supposed to be.”

“Is that why there’s always so much anger running through our soulbond?” Kurt whispered, coming to sit near him.

Blaine shook his head. “No. That’s because of my dad.”

Kurt wasn’t sure what to say, so he merely nodded. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, feeling like that was perhaps the lamest sentence to come out of his mouth.

“No, I’m sorry!” Blaine insisted, turning to look at Kurt with a tear-stained face. “I’m sorry I blew you off. I’m sorry I didn’t give you a chance. You deserve better than that; you deserve better than me.” He closed his eyes, more tears leaking down his cheeks. “I know you said that you don’t want an apology, but I don’t know what else to do. I don’t know what actions I can do to prove that I’m changed.”

“What makes you think that?” Kurt asked softly. He ached to reach across and swipe the tears from Blaine’s cheeks, to pull him tight against his side and rub his back, whisper how much he loved him into his ear. But, those acts were far too intimate, so he settled for scooting marginally closer, edging into Blaine’s personal bubble just a bit.

“Because that kiss changed me. I didn’t realize it until I did it, but I started to feel things, Kurt. I haven’t felt anything for a long time. I felt like, for once, maybe I could be someone different, someone better. I felt like maybe I didn’t have to drink beers, smoke cigarettes, and ride a badass motorcycle to be taken seriously. I felt like I just needed you…”

Swallowing hard, Kurt nodded again. “I think…” he started, trying to choose his words carefully. “I think that that could be true.”

“You do?” There was surprise in Blaine’s teary eyes.

“I do,” Kurt agreed, giving his soulmate a weak smile.

“I should have known,” Blaine muttered, looking intently at his shoes. “I should have known Fate wouldn’t screw up. It knows what it’s doing.” He chuckled. “Soulmarks are never wrong; Fate matches you with the person you’re supposed to be with, and you find them when you’re supposed to. Your soulmate is supposed to be the person who knows you better than you know yourself, who understands you, who loves you no matter what you’re going through, who helps you survive when you feel like you’re going to die. I’ve had my soulmark for a long time, and I spent all the time that you’ve known who I am acting like a total ass; I’ve already wasted so much time.”

“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m not old and gray yet.”

Blaine couldn’t help but smile at that. “Neither am I.” He turned large eyes to his soulmate, seeming to bore into Kurt’s heart with his gaze as he spoke, his voice husky and soft. “Can you forgive me, Kurt, for being an ass to you? Can you forgive me for kissing you in front of everyone when it should have just been us?”

“If you can promise to never stop saying my name,” Kurt breathed, staring at Blane’s perfect mouth. “I love the way it sounds when you say it.”

“I think I can manage that,” Blaine answered, the corners of his mouth turning up a bit. “Kurt.”

The taller boy wanted to respond so badly, but the flutter in his chest at hearing Blaine speak his name was far too distracting, and he couldn’t formulate a sentence. Instead, he simply stared at Blaine, studying him in a way he hadn’t been able to do before. God, his soulmate was perfect. Finally, after a few awkward moments, he pushed himself up to his feet.

“Where are you going?” Blaine asked, a hint of panic to his voice. “Are you still mad at me?”

“I’m going home,” Kurt answered, brushing off his pants. He’d made it a point never to sit in the hallway; Principal Figgins did not put a great deal of the school budget into hiring quality janitors, and he was sure the hallway floor was crawling with germs. “I’m not still mad at you; I’ve forgiven you. I just need some time to think.”

Blaine watched his soulmate go for a moment, his heart simultaneously breaking and swelling at once. At the last moment, he made a decision, jumping to his feet and racing after his soulmate. “Kurt! Wait!”

Kurt whirled around. “What?”

Dropping to one knee in front of his soulmate, slightly out of breath, Blaine glanced up, locking eyes with Kurt and holding his gaze steady. “I know I’ve been a complete and total ass,” he began, putting as much feeling as he could into the words while sending shots of hope through their soulbond. “And, I know I’m going to have to try really hard to make it up to you, but I want to try. So, Kurt Hummel, my beautiful soulmate, my chosen true love, will you go out with me? Properly?”

Kurt’s breath caught in his throat, and he gasped, gazing down into Blaine’s eyes for a moment. What was he supposed to say? He had no idea, and he couldn’t find the words. Finally, he stammered out, “Yes. Yeah,” nodding along as he stared at Blaine.

Rising to his feet, Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt’s waist, pulling him close. Then, he pressed his lips gently against Kurts in their first real, private kiss.

Kurt melted into his soulmate’s embrace. This was what he’d always imagined. This was how it was supposed to be.


	9. Chapter 9

"Mr. Anderson. Have a seat," Figgins greeted a few days after Kurt and Blaine's blow-up at  _ Grease _ rehearsal. "I wanted to check in and see how things are going for you in Mr. Schuester's Glee Club." The principal eyed the miscreant meaningfully. He was still dressed in his typical leather jacket, ribbed tank top, too-tight pants, and riding boots, but there was something different about the young man sitting before him. Maybe it was the shiner?

"Um, it's going okay, I think. Right, Mr. Schue?" The question caught him a little off guard. He’d been flying so high on his interaction with Kurt that he wasn’t fully prepared to answer in his usual, nonchalant way.

“It’s going really well, actually,” Schue agreed, leaning forward in his seat. “Blaine’s got the lead in the musical, and he recen--” The teacher trailed off, looking Blaine full in the face. “Uh, what happened to your eye, Blaine?”

“Oh. Uh, nothing really,” he rushed, brushing off the question, again caught off guard. He wasn’t used to adults caring about him in the slightest. “I’m really enjoying being in the musical and--”

“Answer the question, please, Mr. Anderson,” Figgins said.

“I got into a fight,” Blaine admitted sheepishly. “It was off school grounds. So, you don’t need to worry.”

“Blaine, are you sure?” Schue asked, reaching out to rest a hand on Blaine’s shoulder. “If someone is beating you up, you need to tell us so we can help you.”

“Really. It’s nothing,” Blaine reassured them. “So, am-am I in trouble?” he asked nervously.  _ Because Kurt will not like that. At all.  _ It felt weird to think about what his soulmate would want from him, but he had to admit that he was glad he’d finally found him and let him in. They’d spent the entire weekend texting as much as possible, and he’d awakened on this Monday morning feeling happier than he ever had. He was going to get to see his soulmate again! His good mood had been slightly dampened by being called into the principal’s office before classes had even started, but he was optimistic. No one seemed mad at him. This time.

“No, Blaine. You’re not in trouble,” Mr. Schue assured him. “Right?”

“Well, that’s not entirely true,” Figgins said, glancing down at his folded hands. “Ms. Pillsbury?” He gestured toward the counselor that had been silent up unto that point.

“Blaine,” Emma said, rising to stand in front of the principal’s desk, “Mr. Schuester and I are thrilled that you’re having a good time with the musical. It’s just that...well, your grades are…”

“You’re failing all of your classes, Mr. Anderson,” Figgins cut in, ready to get to the point. “And, if you don’t bring your grades up to at least a ‘C,’ you’ll have to quit the musical.”

“What?” Blaine asked, not really sure what he was hearing. How had he allowed himself to think that this was going to be a good day? Clearly, that had been incorrect.

“I’m sorry, but it’s school policy. Students who don’t perform at a satisfactory level can not participate in extracurricular activities. And, your grades have been less than stellar all year. In fact, most of your high school career, Mr. Anderson. You risk not graduating.”

“No-not graduating?” Blaine couldn’t believe what he was hearing. There was no way this was happening. No way. He had been so happy just a few minutes before, and now he was devastated. The old, comfortable feeling of anger began seeping back in, and he wondered if Kurt could feel it through their soulbond.

“Well, but-but don’t worry,” Ms. Pillsbury cut in. She could almost feel the change in Blaine’s demeanor and wanted to prevent an explosive outburst if at all possible. “We have a plan to help you. How would you feel about having a tutor?”

“A tutor?”

“Someone to help you study. Like a study buddy,” Ms. Pillsbury supplied helpfully.

“Um, I don’t know…” Blaine hedged, not really sure what to say. He knew he wasn’t doing well in his classes. He either didn’t have time for the homework or just flat out wasn’t going to them, which he knew was probably not a good thing. Still, he couldn’t have some random girl coming over to his house. What would the guys think? He’d have to bang the tutor no doubt, lest Puckerman find out he had a “hot piece of ass in his bed and didn’t tap that.” Worse, what if it was some nerdy dude he’d be forced to beat up to satisfy his duties as the leader of the bad boy gang. This wasn’t going to work out well.

“I took the liberty of making a list,” Ms. Pillsbury went on. “This is a list of every student in the senior class that has taken or is currently taking all your classes and has an “A” average for the class. Believe it or not, there are eleven of these bright students at McKinley. Take a look,” she said, passing him the sheet of paper.

Blaine’s eyes quickly scanned the list. One name stood out to him: Kurt Hummel. “What do I do with this?” he asked shyly, glancing up at the counselor.

“Well, you can pick someone off the list you think you’d work well with, and I can call them into my office during first period, or I can pick someone for you. It’s up to you.” She smiled brightly at him as if this should be the best news he’d ever heard.

“Could you call Kurt?” he asked, not looking at her, his voice quiet.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Blaine,” Schuester cut in. “You and Kurt had a fight in Glee on Friday, and you both left and never came back. I think you should pick someone else.”

“I apologized, Mr. Schue,” Blaine said, turning to look at the teacher. “It’s okay. We’re on good terms now.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to see the two of you fighting when you’re supposed to be studying together.”

“I’m sure,” Blaine said, nodding more confidently than he actually felt. “Can you call him, Ms. P?”

“Of course,” she said cheerily. “When Principal Figgins is done, you can just come down to my office with me. Once the bell rings, Figgins can call him down to my office. The three of us can chat and get everything straightened out for you.” She clapped her hands, grinning at Blaine excitedly. “I’m so glad we’re going to get you the help you need, Blaine. I know you can be a good student!”

“Not so fast, Ms. Pillsbury,” Figgins cut in. “While I’m glad Mr. Anderson is getting a tutor, he needs to remember that if he can’t bring his grades up by the Monday before the musical, he’ll have to step out of the lead role.”

“That’s only two weeks!” Blaine protested, anger starting to build again. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to change anything by then!”

“Your teachers will be made aware of your circumstances, Mr. Anderson,” Figgins assured him. “They’ll make sure your grades are updated to reflect the work you’ve done.”

“When will I know if I can-can graduate?” he asked haltingly, afraid he was already too late for that.

“As long as you can pass these classes, the worst thing that might happen is taking a few summer classes,” Schue assured him. “We want to see you succeed, Blaine. That’s our job as teachers.”

“That’s right,” Ms. Pillsbury agreed. “We’re going to make sure you graduate, because every young man needs a diploma for success!” She handed him a pamphlet that read, “So It’s Almost Too Late To Graduate? What now?”

“Uh, thanks, Ms. P,” Blaine said, taking the pamphlet. 

“Do you understand what you’re up against, Mr. Anderson?” Figgins asked, eyeing him again. “You have two weeks to turn your grades around with the tutor in order to stay in Mr. Schuester’s musical.”

“I understand,” Blaine replied, standing up. “Can we go to your office now, Ms. P?” He was eager to get out of there and see Kurt. His soulmate would make this better, he was sure. At least, he hoped he would. His cheeks heated as he thought about Kurt finding out about his grades and being disappointed. He’d hoped no one else would ever find out.

“Of course,” Ms. Pillsbury replied, gathering her things. “Principal Figgins will call Kurt to my office as soon as the bell rings.”

“Thank you,” Blaine said to no one in particular, standing and leaving the room. 

Ms. Pillsbury followed quickly behind him. “Um, Blaine,” she began, not really wanting to press the issue but feeling as though she needed to know, “what really happened to your eye? I know you said it happened off of school property, but I’m worried about you.” She smiled sweetly at him, hoping that would convince him to talk.

“I fell down at home, tripped over an extension cord and hit myself in the eye. Smacked it right on the edge of a kitchen chair as I fell. It’s really no big deal,” Blaine told her as he walked down the hallway. There was no way he was going to tell her what had actually happened. While he hadn’t lied about it not happening on school grounds, he was pretty sure that telling her that Puckerman had come over and clocked him after Blaine’s big reveal that he was in the Glee Spring Musical would not go over well. Noah would get into trouble or perhaps suspended, and Blaine didn’t want that. He may have found his soulmate, but he still needed friends.

“Okay. I just wanted to help,” Ms. Pillsbury said, unlocking her office door and stepping aside for him to enter. “Just have a seat right there, and I’m sure Principal Figgins will call Kurt shortly.”

Blaine nodded, sitting down in one of her padded office chairs while the counselor went behind her desk and opened a drawer. He expected her to file the paperwork she’d brought back from Figgins’ office, but instead, she pulled out a giant kit containing cleaning products and began to wipe down everything in sight. She took everything off the top of her desk so she could wipe that down. Then, she carefully rubbed a cloth over every item before she put it back on the desktop. After that, she washed her hands and slid on a pair of gloves before pulling her lunch bag onto the desk surface so that she could eat her breakfast. That was when she caught Blaine staring at her with wide eyes, confused by everything that was going on.

“I’m a bit of a cleany bug,” she explained with a wide smile, pulling out a container of green grapes and a small cup of yogurt. “I just feel like nothing can be too clean, you know. And, why would I want to live in filth and germs when I have the choice to make sure everything’s nice and clean.” She gave him a wide smile before returning to her fruit, polishing each grape in turn before popping it into her mouth.

The young man nodded once, letting his eyes trail away from the counselor to the other items in her office. There was a rack of pamphlets behind her, and he recognized more of the one that she’d given him in Figgins’ office. There were others, too, and he tried to read some of the titles. He saw ‘My Soulmate’s a Total Drag. Help!,’ ‘I Itch Down There; Could I Have an STD?,’ ‘I Didn’t Get Into the College of My Dreams: How to Not Whine About It and Build Others Up,’ and ‘Sunglasses Matter: Five Steps to Being Cool in School.’ Blaine shook his head, turning away from the pamphlet display case. He didn’t need to read any more of those.

“Mr. Kurt Hummel, please report to Ms. Pillsbury’s office immediately. Mr. Kurt Hummel, please report to Ms. Pillsbury’s office immediately. Thank you.”

When Figgins’ voice droned over the intercom, Blaine gave an internal whoop. He’d missed the bell ringing, perhaps because he was too focused on what Ms. Pillsbury was doing or reading her pamphlets. Whenever it had happened, he was glad that Kurt was on his way to her office. He needed to get this tutoring thing set up and get the hell out of there. The last thing he needed was for any of his friends to walk by and see him sitting in there.

“Oh, good. Kurt should be here any minute,” Ms. Pillsbury said, pausing with a grape halfway to her mouth. “We should be able to get you fixed up in a jiffy.”

Blaine didn’t say anything, just sinking lower into his chair as he waited for Kurt.

His soulmate did not disappoint. A few minutes later, he walked into Ms. Pillsbury’s office with wide eyes. “Principal Figgins announced that I nee--oh…” He trailed off when he noticed his soulmate slouched into one of the counselor’s chairs. “Is, uh, is everything okay?”

“Hi, Kurt,” Blaine mouthed.

“Everything’s fine,” Ms. Pillsbury said as she packed her fruit and cleaning wipes away. “Blaine’s just having some trouble with school, and he was wondering if you’d be willing to tutor him.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“Well, he’s...Blaine? Do you want to tell him?”

Blaine swallowed hard. He did not, in fact, want to tell his soulmate that he was flunking every class, and he desperately needed his help if he wanted to graduate and escape this hellhole. “I’m, um, I’m failing…”

“Failing what?” Kurt asked, turning to look at him squarely. If he was being honest with himself, this was no surprise. Blaine wasn’t exactly known for attending his classes. More often than not, he was missing when the teacher took attendance, and he could be spotted behind the bleachers, laughing it up with Puckerman and a few of the other guys. If he wasn’t there, he was in the principal’s office or missing from school grounds. He’d been suspended more than once. Kurt wanted to be mad about it, but he couldn’t. He knew there was more going on in Blaine’s life than he was really privy to, and he couldn’t blame his soulmate for making poor choices, at least not until he knew why he’d done it.

“Everything,” Blaine whispered, his cheeks coloring. “All my classes.”

Ms. Pillsbury jumped in then, hoping to help out. “Here’s a list of all of Blaine’s classes,” she said, passing a piece of paper to Kurt. “You were on a list of students who have passed or are currently passing each of Blaine’s classes with an ‘A’ average. He asked for you specifically.” She smiled at him.

“Thanks,” Kurt replied, taking the paper and scanning the list. Blaine was in several classes Kurt had taken last year: biology, algebra, U.S. history, and health and nutrition. He was, however, also in Kurt’s current English class, computer skills lab, and intro to psychology class. “This looks like a hard semester,” he said, turning towards Blaine. “You don’t have any fun classes.”

Blaine shook his head. “I failed too many of my classes from last year. I had to retake them this year plus any leftover requirements.” He hung his head. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to do this.”

“Sure we can,” Kurt replied, reaching out to pat at Blaine’s knee. “You’ll be fine. We’ll use Glee as a way for you to relax in the afternoon, and we can study together in the evenings after rehearsal. We’ll get you up to passing.”

“Can’t use Glee if they take it,” Blaine muttered. Kurt’s proposal sounded nice, but it wasn’t very likely.

“What do you mean ‘if they take it’?” Kurt asked, glancing at Ms. Pillsbury.

“If Blaine isn’t passing his classes with ‘C’s by the Monday before opening night, Figgins said he’ll be pulled from the musical. He has to be passing his classes to participate in extracurriculars.”

“Oh…” Dropping his gaze to the floor, Kurt thought for a moment. Could he do this? With all the other classes he had to pass, rehearsing for Glee (he’d decided after thinking about it that he’d continue with the musical after all), and applying to colleges and for scholarships, he wasn’t sure he had a ton of time to devote to helping someone else pass. But, this was his soulmate, and the fear and anxiety Blaine was feeling was clearly evident via their soulbond as well as the look on his face. He couldn’t let him down. So, he squared his shoulders and looked up, making eye contact with Blaine. “We can do this.” Then, he frowned. “What happened to your eye?”

“It’s nothing,” Blaine replied, brushing it off. “Are-are you sure we can do this?”

“Absolutely. I’ll help you. You’ll be passing before you know it.”

“This is so wonderful!” Ms. Pillsbury said, clapping her hands together. “I’m so glad the two of you are going to be able to work together. Do you need to use my office for a study area after school? Mr. Schue--”

“No. We’ll use the library or go to one of our houses,” Kurst said, cutting her off. “Thanks, Ms. Pillsbury.”

“My pleasure,” she replied. “Now, the two of you need to get to class. I’ll write you hall passes to take to your teachers.” Digging in her desk drawer, she produced a pad of paper and quickly scribbled two notes, passing them to the boys. “Have a good day, and if you need any help, come by my office and ask.”

“Will do,” Kurt replied, rising. “Come on, Blaine. I want to ask you a few questions on our way to class.”

Slowly, Blaine rose, following his soulmate out into the hallway, away from Ms. Pillsbury’s room. “Thanks for helping me,” he whispered when he was sure no one else was around to hear him.

Kurt, who had gotten a few steps ahead stopped, turning to look at Blaine. “Are you okay?” he asked softly, reaching out to caress the skin below Blaine’s bruised eye. “What really happened?”

“Puckerman,” Blaine replied, glancing at the floor. “I finally worked up the courage to tell him and the guys about the musical, and he kicked my ass.”

“Why are you friends with him if he’s going to beat you up?” Kurt asked gently. “You deserve better than that Blaine.”

“It’s not exactly easy to make friends at this school, especially not with my reputation,” the other boy spat, his anger bubbling up. “It might be easier for you, being a Cheerio and all, but it sucks to be like me, dumb and unpopular!”

“Hey,” Kurt said, grabbing Blaine’s hand and pulling him into a dark classroom. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I just don’t want to see you get hurt. And, a friend that hurts you isn’t really a friend at all.”

“What do you know about friends?”

“I know that anyone who shoves me, punches me, or kicks me needs to be out of my life. We’re soulmates, Blaine. I can feel your anger and your pain; it hurts me when you’re hurt, and you shouldn’t be getting hurt by your friends. That’s not friendship; it’s cruel.”

Blaine sighed, looking down at his shoes. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to be sorry. Just...take care of yourself, okay?”

“Yeah. I’ll try.”

“Good.” Kurt leaned in, softly kissing Blaine’s cheek. “Now, how bad are your grades? What are we working with here?”

Blaine shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. I haven’t been going to class, so they’re probably pretty terrible.”

“Okay. Meet me after school, and we’ll start to figure everything out, okay?”

“What about Glee? Don’t we have rehearsal?”

“I’ll talk to Mr. Schue. Maybe he can just do some of the Sandy parts today. He’ll understand if I ex--”

“He knows about my grades. He was in Figgins’ office with me today.”

“Perfect. He’ll understand then. Can we go to your house to study?”

Blaine tensed at that, not sure what to say. He was definitely not ready to introduce his soulmate to his grandfather or father yet, and he was sure at least one of them would be home. His mind raced to come up with an excuse, but Kurt saved him.

“Never mind. I can tell you’re completely uncomfortable with that, so we’ll go to mine. My mom will be home, but she’ll be excited to meet my sou--”

“We can’t tell anyone!” Blaine rushed, grabbing Kurt’s arm. “Nobody can know that we’re soulmates, Kurt. I’m not ready! They-we-please!”

“Shhh. Okay. Okay. We won’t tell her. Still, she’ll be happy to meet you,” Kurt soothed, rubbing a hand up and down Blaine’s arm gently. “Can we take my car?”

“Um, yeah. I rode my bike today.” Glancing at Kurt’s clothes, he smiled. “I don’t think you want to wear shorts on my bike.”

“No. No, I do not,” Kurt replied, leaning in to kiss Blaine’s cheek again. “Everything okay? I don’t want to freak you out, but at some point, we do need to sit down and talk about our relationship and what we want to do about it, you know, since we’re soulmates.”

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. We will.” Blaine cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably. Talking was his least favorite thing to do. “Um, I think we need to go to class now.”

“You’re right,” Kurt agreed, taking a step back to follow Blaine out of the classroom. “Where’s your backpack anyway?”

“I, uh, I don’t have one,” Blaine admitted.

“First stop after school, I’m buying you a backpack. No protesting,” he said, raising a hand when Blaine opened his mouth to comment.

“Fine.” 

The boys walked together for a few moments in silence before Blaine stopped in front of a classroom door. “This is me. Biology.”

“Here,” Kurt said, digging through his backpack to find a pencil and a spare notebook. “Use these today, and ask your teachers for a list of assignments. Don’t lose these.” He smiled, passing the items to Blaine.

“Yes, sir,” the curly-haired boy replied with a mock salute. “See you after school?”

“See you after school. I’ll meet you in the parking lot. Have a good day.” With another quick peck to the cheek, Kurt took off down the hallway toward his own class, not looking back over his shoulder at his soulmate who was still standing outside the door.

“Bye,” Blaine whispered, straightening his shoulders and adjusting his leather jacket. He didn’t know what it was for sure, but something about his soulmate made him feel warm and fuzzy inside, feelings that weren’t exactly fit for a badass persona at this school. He loved the feelings, but they weren’t conducive to keeping up his image. So, he took a moment to get himself back into his uncaring, better-than-you, cool headspace before entering the classroom and slapping his hall pass on the teacher's desk. He strutted to his seat next to Puckerman, smacking his notebook down as he slid into his chair.

“Dude, where were you?” Puck whispered. “You weren’t out behind the bleachers or in the locker room before school.”

“You were on time?” Blaine asked with a huff. “Only suckers get to school on time.”

Puck laughed, even as he narrowed his eyes at Blaine. His bike had been in the parking lot when he pulled up. Something wasn’t adding up here.


	10. Chapter 10

After school, Blaine was waiting by the parking lot door. “I didn’t know which car was yours,” he explained as Kurt approached. “So, I waited for you.” Glancing at Kurt’s outfit, he wrinkled his brow and asked, “Don’t you ever have Cheerios practice?”

Kurt nodded. “Coach Sylvester got Figgins to approve Cheerios as a gym class, so we practice during the school day. We’re prepping for Nationals,” he told his soulmate as they approached a large, black Lincoln Navigator.

Blaine was going to comment about that when his eyes bugged out of his head. “This is your ride?” he asked, beginning to circle the vehicle. “This is so friggin’ sweet!”

“Um, thanks?” Kurt replied, unlocking the doors. “My dad bought it, busted, off of one of his customers. He fixed it up and gave it to me to drive.” He shrugged. “I helped him.”

Stopping in his tracks, Blaine swiveled to look at his soulmate. “You helped? You mean, you know stuff about cars?”

“My knowledge is very limited,” Kurt replied as he opened the driver door. “I mostly handed him tools and stuff, but I know how to change the oil and swap tires.” He smiled winningly at Blaine leaning forward to see him over the hood of the car.

“You just became so much sexier to me,” Blaine said, swinging into the passenger seat. 

“Wait…” Kurt paused. He turned to stare at Blaine, his eyes wide with surprise. “You think I’m sexy?”

“Uh…” Blaine had no idea what to say. “Yeah?” he finally finished lamely, shrugging as he locked eyes with Kurt.

“What...exactly...do you find sexy?” Kurt asked, raising an eyebrow. He’d expected Blaine to be a little bit more forward with his sexuality than most, but he hadn’t expected he’d just spit out his attraction before they’d even defined their relationship.

“Hmmm...well,” Blaine thought, running his eyes lustily over Kurt’s body.

“Wait.” Kurt held up his hand. “Make sure you can relate it to a car since you find that to be oh-so sexy.”

“Really?”

“I want to see how this plays out,” Kurt replied, starting the car. “Go on, then.”

“Um…” Blaine said, trying to concentrate. This response from Kurt was not one that he’d ever expected, and it was throwing him for a loop. In a good way, of course. God, in such a good way. “Um, your ass is super sexy,” he offered weakly. “It really...revs my engine.”

“Oh my God!” Kurt laughed, his cheeks coloring a little bit. “That was completely not what I expected. What else?”

“Your arms...I love your guns.”

“That is  _ not _ a car part!”

“Oh. Yeah. Um…” He paused again, looking Kurt up and down. “You, um, your eyes are always really bright like headlights, and the way you talk is...it, uh, really turns me on. Li-like a car horn?”

“Oh my God! Okay. That’s enough.” Kurt laughed as he pulled out of his parking space and made his way toward the street. “I didn’t realize that would be so...difficult for you.” He glanced at Blaine to see him awkwardly twisting his hands in the passenger seat.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I’m not very good at relationship stuff.”

“No. That’s not what I meant.”

“It’s just that I’ve never actually been in a relationship before.”

“You haven’t?” Kurt’s voice was louder than he meant for it to be, and he winced when he saw Blaine pull further in on himself. “I’m sorry. That was rude. I guess I just assumed that with your reputation, you’d have guys fawning over you everywhere you went.” He paused. “You do actually like men, right. I wasn’t a surprise to you?”

“Uh, no. Not at all. I like men. I’ve just...I’ve never been with one. I’ve been with, um, girls.”

“You have?” Again, it was too loud. “Why?”

“Unlike you, an out and proud Cheerio, I haven’t exactly had the freedom to be myself,” Blaine groused. “Can we just drop it? Please?” His voice was gruff as he leaned against the window, staring out at the buildings they were driving past.

“Um, sure. So, what kind of backpack do you want?”

“I actually don’t.”

“Well, that’s too bad,” Kurt countered, not backing down from his point. “You need one. Did you get lists of assignments from your teachers?”

“Yeah. There’s a shit-ton of stuff, Kurt. I mean, SO MUCH. How are we ever going to get it all done?”

“Well, I won’t know until we get to my house, and I can actually look at the lists.” He paused for a moment, glancing at Blaine’s form against the car door. He could feel the irritation and embarrassment running through their bond, and he was surprised there wasn’t anger, too. Most of what Blaine felt was anger. “I’m sorry,” he finally said. “I pushed too hard about the girl thing. I should have just let it go.”

Blaine sighed. “No, it’s fine. I’m sorry I reacted like that. You’re going to find out everything eventually. I mean, we’re soulmates. That’s what happens, right?”

“Right,” Kurt replied, dragging out the word. “But, only when you’re comfortable. I shouldn’t force it out of you. That’s not very...soulmate-y of me.”

“Soulmate-y? Is that a word?” Blaine snorted, smiling at Kurt for the first time since the car talk.

“No. But, who cares? Anyway, I’m still sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

“No. I want to...make a rule for our relationship.”

Raising an eyebrow, Blaine surveyed his soulmate. “Our relationship?”

“Can we agree that that’s what we have, at the very least? Without any other labels?”

“I guess…”   
  


“So, then I want to make a rule that when someone apologizes, we always say, ‘I forgive you,’ ‘I accept your apology,’ or ‘Thank you for your apology.’ I think that’s important.”

“Why?”

“Because acknowledging an apology and, hopefully, eventually forgiving someone means that there are no hard feelings associated with what happened anymore. It doesn’t take away the fact that the hurtful thing was done or said,but it’s more of a promise that that person will do their best not to do it again; that way there are no grudges being held. The slate is completely clean, and we can move on.”

Blaine shrugged. “Okay. I guess.”

“So, do you forgive me?”

“Yeah. I forgive you.”

“Good,” Kurt replied as he pulled into a parking space at the Lima Mall. “Let’s go find you a backpack!” He beamed at his soulmate as he slid out of his car and rounded the front to wait for him to climb out.

“You really don’t have to do this,” Blaine said, even as he joined Kurt, walking next to him as they entered the mall.

“Oh, but I really do. If you cooperate with me, I’ll buy you an ice cream cone before we leave.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “Maybe that can...get your engine revving.”

Blaine blushed a bright shade of red, and he averted his gaze, chuckling softly. “It might,” he agreed in a whisper.

“Good.” 

The boys walked side by side through the mall for a few minutes, walking into one of the sporting goods stores in the mall to look at the backpacks. As they looked for the correct aisle, Blaine asked, “You’re not worried about what people will think of us in public together?”

“Nope,” Kurt replied, popping the ‘P.’ “Who cares what they think?”

“I mean, how will you explain it? You can’t--”

“I’m your tutor; that’s all they need to know.”

“Oh.”

“Unless you want them to know more. I would be happy to tell people the truth.”

“No! I mean...no, please.”

Kurt was silent as they found the backpacks, and he began to look them over. Eventually, he spoke softly, his voice deeper than normal. “It’s okay if you’re embarrassed of me, you know. You’re a badass, and I’m a cheerleader. It’s a...natural reaction, I suppose. But, I don’t want to hide us forever. I was telling the truth. I’m happy to tell people who you are to me.”

Blaine sighed. He had known this would come up eventually, and more than anything, he wanted to tell Kurt the truth. He wanted to tell him that he would be more than happy to tell the world that Kurt was his soulmate, but he couldn’t, at least not while they were in Lima. His dad could never know; neither could his grandfather. There would be no repairing the relationship if they found out that he was eternally tied to another man. He couldn’t tell Kurt that, though. Not yet. Not when their relationship was still so new and yet undefined. So, he went with, “I’m not embarrassed; I’m just not ready yet.”

“I understand,” Kurt replied, grabbing a backpack from the rack and showing it to Blaine. “What do you think?”

It was a simple black backpack with three pockets and a drink pouch on the side. “I really don’t need you to buy this for me,” he tried again.

Kurt shook his head. “Not an option. Either you like it, or you don’t.”

“It’s fine,” Blaine agreed. “If you insist on getting me one.”

“I do. Let’s go.” Kurt hurried them through the checkout line, not even flinching at the nearly 60 dollar price tag. Then, he handed the bag to his soulmate. “There you are, good sir,” he said, bowing. “Now, let’s get you that ice cream cone I promised.”

Blaine followed along behind Kurt silently, his new backpack slung loosely over his shoulder. He couldn’t help but stare at Kurt’s ass. He wasn’t lying. In that Cheerios uniform, it really did something to him. Hell, in any outfit it would probably do something to him. Kurt’s ass was just so...perfect. Round and full and squeezable. He wanted to reach out and squeeze right there in the middle of the mall, but there was no way he could build up the courage to do it. So, he followed along silently behind him, waiting in line for his vanilla cone and licking it gratefully when Kurt handed it over. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

Kurt didn’t respond, instead licking his cone with just the tip of his tongue, swirling it suggestively around the small swirl on top of the cone.

Nearly choking on his ice cream, Blaine averted his gaze. That was too sexual in public for him to know what to do with that. In fact, he didn’t talk again to Kurt until they were safely in the car on the way to Kurt’s house. “That cone move was really sexy,” he admitted shyly.

“Oh. I thought you didn’t like it. You didn’t say anything.”

“Public stuff like that is...hard.”

“Hard, is it?” Kurt asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Oh my God! Do you ever stop?”

“Uh, nope.”

“Good, because I love it.” Blaine was surprised to be admitting that, but it was true. He did love the constant sexual banter. And, now that he was a little more relaxed, he realized his dick loved it, too. It twitched in his pants as he took in Kurt’s sexy grin. “God, I love it,” he whispered, palming himself a bit.

“Having a...hard time, there?” Kurt asked, raising an eyebrow. “You might want to keep that under control, at least until after you meet my mom.”

Blaine let out an embarrassed chuckle. He’d forgotten that was going to happen. “Oh. Um, yeah. I guess.”

“After that, though, I may be able to do something about that...hard problem you’re having.”

“Oh my God,” Blaine moaned, hiding his face. “You really don’t ever stop.”

“I told you I didn’t!” Kurt defended himself. “When we get to my house, we’ll just pop into the kitchen to grab a cookie from my mom. Then, we can go upstairs and figure out a game plan. As much as it would be fun to just mess around, we have to concentrate on your homework. I don’t want you to lose your part as Danny in the show.”

Blaine blinked for a few moments before he spoke, not sure what to say. This was the first time since meeting in the parking lot that Kurt had been serious about the homework thing, and despite his soulmate’s reassurance that everything would be fine, he was infinitely nervous about Kurt finding out just how bad things were. What if he didn’t graduate in a few months? What if he was stuck in this terrible town for another year while Kurt got to move on to somewhere else? He couldn’t bear the thought of staying with his dad any longer than the end of May. He needed to get out. “Me neither,” he whispered finally. “I really need to graduate.”

“That’s true,” Kurt admitted watching Blaine carefully from the corner of his eye. There was a new tone in his voice that Kurt hadn’t heard before. And, there was a new emotion throbbing through their bond. It was a mixture of a few things: panic perhaps? And, anguish. A hint of guilt. There was obviously more to the story. So, Kurt reached out a hand, grabbing at Blaine’s and giving him a squeeze. “I believe in you, Blaine. You’ll catch up and graduate. I know it.”

“I hope so,” the other boy whispered, leaning his forehead against the window and staring at the houses zipping past. He didn’t move his hand from Kurt’s, though, and they rode the rest of the way to Kurt’s house in silence, their hands linked together. When Kurt pulled up and killed the engine, Blaine sat up, pulling his hand away.

“Are you okay?” Kurt asked softly.

“Fine,” Blaine replied, grabbing his new backpack and opening his door. He silently followed Kurt into the house staying a few paces behind his soulmate as they walked in and kicked off their shoes.

“Mom? You home?” Kurt called, padding toward the kitchen with his backpack on his still on his shoulder.

“In the kitchen, honey,” Elizabeth replied. “How was school today? Did you--?” She stopped when she spotted Blaine behind her son. “Who’s this, Kurt?” she asked, making eye contact with the other boy.

“This is Blaine,” Kurt said. “He’s a senior, and he’s in Glee Club with me. I’m tutoring him.”

“Oh, that’s nice,” Elizabeth said, wiping her hands on her apron and extending one toward Blaine. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said, smiling sweetly. “Are you okay, dear? Your eye is bruised.”

“I’m fine. I...fell over the weekend,” Blaine said awkwardly, studying the tile.

“If you’re sure,” Elizabeth replied, trailing off. “Are you boys hungry? There’s cookies in the jar or popsicles in the freezer.”

“We had ice cream at the mall,” Kurt replied, hand already in the cookie jar. “So, we were just going to grab a cookie and go up to my room to work on some homework. Okay?”

“That’s fine, honey. Just remember your father’s rule. Door open if--”

“If there’s someone else in my room. Got it, Mom. Thanks,” Kurt replied. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before handing off a cookie to Blaine and walking out of the room, headed for the stairs. “Blaine, come on,” he called back over his shoulder.

“Thanks for the cookie,” Blaine mumbled, hurrying after his soulmate. When they reached Kurt’s room, Blaine tossed his backpack on the floor and reached deep into his jacket pocket, producing several crumpled pieces of paper. “Here,” he said, dropping them on the bed. “Those are the assignment lists.”

“Eat your cookie first,” Kurt answered, settling on the bed next to Blaine. “You’re stressed. I can feel it.”

“Damn right, I’m stressed! This is my future, Kurt! If I don’t leave this place, I could…” He trailed off, not finishing his thought. 

“What could happen, Blaine?” Kurt asked gently, laying a tentative hand on his arm. He knew that Blaine didn’t like to talk about himself, but this was clearly bothering him; he wanted to help.

“Nothing. Just forget I said anything.”

Kurt cleared his throat, walking over toward his radio. “Do you know musical theater?” he asked, perusing the stack of CDs next to his radio.

“Not really,” Blaine replied with a shrug. “Just a few shows.”

“Do you know  _ Dear Evan Hansen _ ?”

A gentle smile lit up Blaine’s face. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I’ve listened to the soundtrack several times.”

“Good. I want you to sing a song with me.”

“Which one?”

“ _ Only Us _ ,” Kurt replied, popping the CD into his player and navigating to the correct track. “I’ll take Zoe’s part. You sing Evan.”

Blaine only nodded as the song began its first few gentle notes, watching as Kurt came to sit beside him.

“ _ I don't need you to sell me on reasons to want you _

_ I don't need you to search for the proof that I should _

_ You don't have to convince me _

_ You don't have to be scared you're not enough _

_ 'Cause what we've got going is good _

_ I don't need more reminders of all that's been broken _

_ I don't need you to fix what I'd rather forget _

_ Clear the slate and start over _

_ Try to quiet the noises in your head _

_ We can't compete with all that _

_ So what if it's us? _

_ What if it's us _

_ And only us _

_ And what came before won't count anymore or matter? _

_ Can we try that? _

_ What if it's you _

_ And what if it's me _

_ And what if that's all that we need it to be _

_ And the rest of the world falls away? _

_ What do you say? _ ”

Blaine watched Kurt as he sang, smiling as his soulmate looked directly into his eyes, seemingly singing the words to him. There were little parts where he’d shake his head or gesture to Blaine as he sang, but Blaine only noticed those movements in his peripheral vision. He was too involved watching Kurt, staring into his eyes, feeling the emotions that Kurt was sending him with their bond. It was so involved that he almost missed his first line.

“ _ I never thought there'd be someone like you who would want me _

_ Well _

_ So I give you ten thousand reasons to not let me go _

_ But if you really see me _

_ If you like me for me and nothing else _

_ Well, that's all that I've wanted for longer that you could possibly know _

_ So it can be us _

_ It can be us _

_ And only us _

_ And what came before won't count anymore or matter _

_ We can try that _ ”

Blaine sang the next verse, staring deeply into Kurt’s eyes, trying to send his emotions through their soulbond. That line, ‘If you like me for me and nothing else,’ was very important to him. Kurt, if the line was true, would be the first person to actually like him for who he was, both inside and out. Everyone else in his life knew him as a fraud. Puckerman thought he liked girls, his father thought he was a straight “A” student, and his grandfather...well, who knew what he thought most of the time. In that moment, though, as he sang to Kurt, nothing else besides Kurt’s opinion mattered to him. It could be them...

Kurt grabbed Blaine’s hands as they began to sing together. They never broke eye contact, and their soulbond felt different, fuller, as their voices joined together. They were careful of the volume, but it didn’t take away from the emotions of the moment. It was just them, Kurt and Blaine, together. Like they were supposed to be.

“ _ It's not so impossible _

_ Nobody else but the two of us here _

_ 'Cause you're saying it's possible _

_ We can just watch the whole world disappear _

_ 'Til you're the only one _

_ I still know how to see _

_ It's just you and me _

_ It'll be us, It'll be us _

_ And only us _

_ And what came before won't count anymore _

_ We can try that _

_ You and me _

_ That's all that we need it to be _

_ And the rest of the world falls away _

_ And the rest of the world falls away _

_ The world falls away _

_ The world falls away _

_ And it's only us _ ”

As the last notes faded away, Kurt leaned in, capturing Blaine’s lips in a heated kiss. It began sweetly enough, the boys enjoying the way their lips felt against one another, the way they fit like a puzzle, Blaine’s body pressing lightly into Kurt’s. Then, the kiss began to grow more heated, Kurt’s tongue seeking entrance into Blaine’s mouth, tasting, licking, searching for something.

Blaine’s hands began to roam, moving from his sides to Kurt’s shoulders, down his arms, around his waist and up his back. Then, they moved down again, tugging at the hem of the polyester uniform, eager to get it out of the way so he could feel Kurt’s delicate, porcelain skin beneath his fingertips. When Kurt began fumbling with the button on Blaine’s pants, he pulled away long enough to pant, “What if your mom comes up?”

Quickly, Kurt was up off the bed, his blisteringly hot skin vanishing from beneath Blaine’s fingertips, only to return a moment later. “Fixed it,” Kurt replied against his lips. Then, they were kissing again, deeply, urgently. It was so, so hot.

Casting a glance at the now-closed door, Blaine pressed one hand against Kurt’s chest. “What about your dad’s rule?”

“I don’t expect this will last long, do you?” Kurt asked, undoing Blaine’s zipper and reaching his hand into Blaine’s boxers, his hand grasping his hard cock and giving it a long, hard pull.

“Ohhh my God,” Blaine managed to moan, moving his hands from Kurt’s body to support himself against the mattress, his head falling back. “Kurt, I--”

“Less talking, more cumming, hmm?” Kurt whispered close to his ear. “I need you to be able to concentrate, and I think this will help.”

Blaine could only nod, moaning again as Kurt continued to run his hand up and down Blaine’s length. The rough dryness of Kurt’s hand against his silky cocky felt amazing, and he could barely contain a moan when Kurt ran the pad of his thumb gently over the head, slipping through the bead of precum there. “Ungh!” Blaine bit his lip.

“Quiet,” Kurt hissed. “She’ll come up here if she hears you.” He continued what he was doing, speeding up his motions until Blaine was panting and wiggling, biting his lip and tongue so hard that he thought he was going to bite clean through them.

“Close,” he whimpered as Kurt continued.

“Cum for me,” Kurt said firmly, his words a gentle whisper to Blaine’s ears.

That was all he needed. A flash of white blew behind his eyelids, and he was cumming, hard, all over Kurt’s hand which was still wrapped firmly around him. He felt like he was floating on a cloud; his whole body felt light, lighter than it ever had, and it seemed like nothing mattered right now except his release and Kurt’s voice in his ear, telling him how beautiful and perfect he was. Finally, he cracked open his eyes and smiled at Kurt tiredly.

“Feel better?” Kurt asked.

“So amazing. That was… Thank you.”

“Stay put,” Kurt commanded. “I’m going to get a cloth to clean you up and reopen the door. Don’t move.”

Blaine nodded, his eyes drifting shut again as he waited for Kurt to come back. It was nice to feel this weightless, this free. Had he ever felt this way? He tried to remember, but that was too much work. So, he just enjoyed the sensations as he waited. He startled when something cold brushed over his cock.

“Sorry,” Kurt mumbled, cleaning up Blaine and his underwear as best as he could. “I ran it under warm water, but it cooled by the time I got back out here.” He finished what he was doing, standing to open the door and put the washcloth into his clothes hamper as Blaine straightened out his damp clothes. “Okay,” Kurt said, coming back to the bed and grabbing the discarded pages Blaine had tossed down before their little detour. “Let’s see what we’ve got here.”

Swallowing hard, Blaine reached out a tentative hand to rest on Kurt’s leg. “Um,” he started, cutting himself off, not sure how to say what he wanted to say.

“Everything okay?” Kurt asked, glancing up at him.

“Uh, yeah. Can we, uh, well, can we just not do that yet?” he asked, gesturing toward the papers. “Can we talk?”

“Sure,” Kurt replied, laying the papers down beside him and looking Blaine in the eyes. “What do you want to talk about?”

“I know we didn’t want to do this yet, but...what are we?” Blaine asked, gazing down at his hands in his lap. “I mean, what we just did feels like a pretty serious relationship, and I know we’re soulmates… We just...we never talked about what we wanted this to be, and I don’t want things to get all confusing. If things are confusing, I’ll jus--”

Kurt cut him off with a kiss. “Woah,” he said gently, tipping Blaine’s chin up until their eyes met. “We can talk, but you have to let me say something, too.” When he was sure Blaine was going to listen, he said, “I know that we’re soulmates, but I think we need to take this slow. You’ve never been with a man, and I’ve never been with anyone seriously. So--”

“What do you mean, ‘seriously’?”

“I’ve had a few flings at different Cheerios events. Never sex. Just casual hand jobs and making out. A couple of blow jobs, always with a condom.”

Blaine grimaced a bit, but he didn’t say anything. He’d had sex with women, and that was worse than kissing.

“So, I think we should just do whatever feels natural to us, don’t try to put a label on it,” Kurt went on. “If we feel like doing sexual stuff, we do. If not, we don’t. We can talk or make out or just spend time together watching movies or something like that. There shouldn’t be any pressure.” He paused. “We agree that, now that we know we’re soulmates, we only want to be with one another, right? No other romantic relationships?”

Blaine nodded. “Just us. And, you’re right,” Blaine sighed. “This is all new to me. The women I’ve slept with...well, it was a one-night thing, and we never spoke again.”

Kurt nodded once. Now was not the time to get into that. “You were okay with the hand job?” he asked, checking to be sure he hadn’t overstepped his bounds.

“So okay,” Blaine replied, gazing up at Kurt again. “It was amazing.”

“So were you,” Kurt replied, leaning in to kiss him lightly on the lips. “Anything else you want to talk about?”

“No. I think we’re… I’m okay now. Thanks.”

“We’re soulmates,” Kurt said, smiling at him. “Fate put us in each other’s paths for a reason, and Fate never makes a mistake. Don’t be afraid you’re going to push me away. It’s not going to happen, Blaine Anderson.” When Blaine grinned back at him, Kurt again took up the papers. “Now, let’s see what’s on these lists.”

Blaine grimaced, leaning back against the headboard. “They’re pretty bad,” he muttered, glancing around Kurt’s impeccably decorated room. It was clear to anyone that entered that Kurt was definitely gay, but Blaine decided that he didn’t mind it too much. There was a lot of Broadway memorabilia on one wall, a collage of pictures of his friends on another, and a bookcase full of novels, trophies, ribbons, and a few framed photos.

“Well, it’s not great,” Kurt admitted after he’d read through everything. “But, it’s not as bad as I thought. We’re going to get you organized, and tomorrow before Glee practice, I’ll go with you to talk to your teachers, see if we can get them to reprint worksheets for us, so we have everything you need. For now, though,” he said, rising and walking to his desk, “let’s get that backpack filled up.” When he came back over, his arms were full of folders, notebooks, pencils, sticky notes, and highlighters. He set everything on the bed, taking a seat on the floor next to Blaine’s discarded backpack.

The other boy watched him for a moment, watching the way Kurt’s muscles moved and noticing with a smile that the tip of Kurt’s tongue peeked out from between his teeth as he worked. “Hey, Kurt?” he said after a few silent moments.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

“For what?” Kurt stopped what he was doing, looking up at him with a furrowed brow.

“Thanks for helping me. You didn’t have to, an--”

“Yes, I did,” Kurt interrupted, reaching out a hand to rest lightly on Blaine’s knee for a moment. “You’re my soulmate, and, like I said, Fate doesn’t make mistakes. We’re supposed to be together for the rest of our lives, maybe longer, and I’m going to do everything I can to help you and keep you safe.” He paused, swallowing hard before looking deep into Blaine’s eyes. “I don’t really understand it,” he whispered, his voice husky, “but I think I might already be in love with you.”

Blaine was sure his heart stopped, and he stopped breathing. What had Kurt just said? “Wh-what did you say?” he asked haltingly, his brain working overtime to process what Kurt had said. To his surprise, the words didn’t bother him or make him feel uncomfortable. They were welcome, in fact, soothing a piece of his heart he hadn’t realized needed soothing.

“I-I think I might already be in love with you,” Kurt whispered again, his eyes never leaving Blaine’s.

Without a second thought, Blaine whispered back, “Me, too.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for mild illicit drug and alcohol use in this chapter as well as mild, implied violence toward the end.

For the first week, Blaine could confidently say that he was happy. Not every moment of his day was filled with happiness. Sometimes, being at home with his father and grandfather made him feel like he wanted to punch a wall. Sometimes, being around Puckerman and his constant teasing for being in the spring musical made him want to kick Puckerman’s ass and set the record straight, that being in the musical didn’t make him gay; he had always been gay and the musical didn’t change anything. Sometimes, being in class and having the teacher be surprised that he was actually attending and learning something made him want to stand up and scream at the top of his lungs. But, seeing Kurt every day and getting back homework with ‘A’s, ‘B’s, and ‘C’s at the top instead of ‘D’s and ‘F’s made him feel like singing and professing his love for his soulmate from the top of the tallest building he could find in Lima. Those little wins made everything else tolerable, and he no longer felt like a volcano that was moving closer and closer to a dangerous eruption every day.

Kurt was noticing a difference, too. He could sleep at night, for one. Their soulbond wasn’t overflowing with anger and rage, at least not as often as it used to be. There were more emotions now, the most common being excitement which Kurt had learned corresponded with Blaine getting his assignments back in class.

On that first Friday, Kurt brought Blaine over to his house for a study session, the third one that week.

“Hi, Kurtie,” his mother greeted when he walked in the door. “I see you brought Blaine with you again.” She smiled sweetly at the shorter boy, moving toward the table with two plates of food this time. “I thought he might be with you, so I made him a snack, too.”

“Thanks, Mom!” Kurt replied, pulling her into a quick hug on his way to the fridge. “Gatorade?” he asked Blaine, pulling a red one out for himself.

“Um, thanks,” Blaine answered as he slid into a chair. He was starting to feel more comfortable around Kurt, but he was completely  _ not  _ comfortable with his mother sliding into a chair across the table from them, folding her hands in front of her, and smiling at him.

“So, Blaine, it seems like you’ve been spending a lot of time with Kurt recently. Did you two just meet?”

The question itself was innocent enough, but Blaine felt as though he was being attacked. He immediately put up his defenses, hoping that his soulmate would come and rescue him quickly. “Um, yeah,” he said, deciding that she didn’t really need details.

“Are you a transfer to McKinley then?” Mrs. Hummel asked.

“No. Just, um, I--”

“He’s in the spring musical,” Kurt cut in, sliding into his chair with the two open Gatorades. “He’s got the lead.”

“Oh, how nice!” his mother replied. “Have you acted before?”

Blaine shook his head but didn’t speak.

“There must be something extra special about you if Mr. Schuester gave you the lead with no acting experience.” Mrs. Hummel eyed her son who was busy gobbling down his food. “Kurt, did you have a good day today?” she asked, deciding to stop asking her son’s friend so many questions. He seemed frightened.

“Uh, yeah. It was good. Didn’t get much homework for the weekend, so I was hoping I could hang out with Blaine?”

“Don’t you have to work at the shop for your father?” she asked, watching as Blaine’s head whipped up in surprise.

“Just on Saturday morning. After that, I’m free.” He smiled sweetly at her. “It’s just that we’ve been working on so much homework lately that I haven’t really gotten to know Blaine, at least not outside of homework.” Kurt felt a sharp kick against his shin, and he glanced over at his soulmate to see him scowling deeply at his snack. “That is, if, um, if Blaine’s okay with it.”

“Blaine?” Mrs. Hummel asked. She could tell that there were at least a few parts to the story that she wasn’t getting, but she and Burt had long ago agreed that the last thing they wanted to do was push Kurt away by trying to force him to talk when he wasn’t ready. So far, the plan had worked. They’d lead him into talking to them, or he’d come to the conclusion on his own that he needed help. Either way, they’d never had a problem with things getting out of hand before Kurt decided that it was time to talk, and they wanted to keep it that way.

“Um,” Blaine stuttered, not looking at the woman as he rubbed his hand along the back of his neck. “I, uh, I think that would be o-okay.”

“Do you need to ask a parent?”

It took all Blaine had not to outwardly snort at that. “No. I don’t think anyone will mind,” he said, stuffing the last of his snack into his mouth.

“Well, as long as you help your father on Saturday morning, I don’t see any reason why the two of you shouldn’t be allowed to hang out,” Mrs. Hummel said. “What are you working on today?”

“Blaine’s got overdue assignments in almost every class, so we’re going to work on getting him caught up with some of those,” Kurt replied, wiping his face to get rid of the last of the crumbs. Grabbing his Gatorade and empty plate from the table, he nudged Blaine. “Let’s go,” he said, scurrying off.

“Door stays open,” Mrs. Hummel called up the stairs after him. Then, she turned toward the shorter boy who was still placing his plate carefully in the sink. “Blaine, if you ever need anything, you can always come to Burt or me. Any friend of Kurt’s is special to us, and we’re happy to help out whenever we can.” She smiled at him reassuringly, hoping to make him more at ease.

  
“Thanks, Mrs. Hummel,” he said, turning to go.

“It’s Elizabeth, sweetheart,” she said after him, watching as he hurried up the stairs. There was definitely something going on with that boy, and her heart ached to help him.  _ At least he’s got Kurt _ , she thought to herself as she went back into the kitchen to clean up.  _ He’ll be good for the boy if nothing else. _

When Blaine got to Kurt’s room, he didn’t sit down. Instead, he dropped his backpack with a loud thud on the floor and turned an icy stare toward his soulmate.

“Something wrong?” Kurt asked, glancing up from where he’d been pulling things out of his own bag. “Why are you looking at me like that?” He could feel some of Blaine’s anger seeping back into their soulbond and he studied him then, taking in the hard set of his shoulders, his piercing eyes, and his tight lips.

“Why would you do that?” Blaine hissed, glancing toward the open door. “Why would you abandon me down there for your mom to question and then invite yourself to hang out with me this weekend?”

Kurt frowned. “Well, I didn’t abandon you with my mom. I thought you were right behind me. If I’d known, I would have waited. And, I thought we could hang out this weekend because we’re…” He trailed off, gesturing toward his hip where Blaine’s name was printed on his skin. He realized, suddenly, that Blaine had never seen his soulmark, and he wondered if he’d like to. That thought was quickly forgotten, however, when Blaine stalked toward the bed. 

“You did abandon me,” he said, his voice deep. “You didn’t defend me when she started questioning me at the table, and you had to know I wasn’t behind you when you went thundering up the stairs. And,” he whispered, his tone growing darker, “just because we’re soulmates doesn’t mean that you can just invite yourself to be around me. There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, things I’m sure you wouldn’t like, and unless you want to find out about them all, you’d probably better stay away from me when we’re not at school.”

“Excuse me?” Pushing away from Blaine, Kurt stood, hands on hips, staring at him. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you or what you think I’d do if I found out about you as a person, but I don’t want to be in a relationship with someone who wants to hide from me. Eventually, Blaine, I’m going to find out.” He was struggling to keep his voice down, not eager for his mother to come up the stairs and try to intervene. “Eventually, we’re going to have to tell people that we’re soulmates and that we’ve been marked to be together by Fate.” He paused when he saw Blaine flinch. What was it about admitting who they were to one another that made him afraid? “I know you don’t want to,” he said, gentling his speech. “I know it scares you. I’m not saying we have to do it now. But we will someday. And, when that day comes, I want you to be excited about admitting that you’re with me. I want you to be happy about it.”

The other boy was silent for a long moment, and Kurt was sure that he was going to leave. Then, he whispered, “You won’t like me after you find out what I’m like.”

“That’s silly!” Kurt said, sitting back down on the edge of the bed. “Of course I’ll like you! We’ve got plenty of things in common, and--”

“Not outside of Glee Club we don’t,” Blaine said, cutting him off. “You don’t know what you’re getting into.”

“Let me be the judge of that,” Kurt answered, returning to what he was doing. He could tell that Blaine’s anger wasn’t gone, but it was less, replaced by a steady stream of fear. He sighed, tugging at Blaine’s arm to get him to sit. When the other boy finally sat, he asked softly, “Do you trust me?”

Blaine wasn’t sure how to answer that question at first. Trust wasn’t something that came easily to him. In fact, it was not often that he ever tried to trust someone else. He’d learned early on that trusting meant getting his heart broken, and he wanted nothing to do with it. But, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that maybe he did trust Kurt. After all, the other boy knew his every emotion and had never once made fun of him for it. He’d seen him on days when he was feeling less like trying and more like giving up. He’d seen his grades and had accepted him without another thought. So, finally, he breathed a quiet, “Yes.”

“Then, trust me when I tell you that you’re never going to be able to do something to make me not want you. You’re my soulmate; we’re supposed to be together. We’ve been marked by Fate, and I trust that. I trust that you are who I am supposed to be with. Maybe we need to work together to change some things, about both of us, but I want to do that with you.” He looked into Blaine’s eyes, hoping he was communicating everything that he was feeling. Taking one of Blaine’s hands in his, he squeezed it for a second, giving him a reassuring smile. 

“Fine. Yeah. You’re right,” Blaine mumbled, gazing down at their hands. “Come and hang out with me tomorrow.” In the back of his mind, he knew it was a bad idea. He knew that shit would get too real, he’d have to somehow explain himself to his friends and maybe his dad if he decided to be awake. But at that moment, none of that seemed to matter. Kurt was being so raw and emotional with him, so open that he didn’t care what it took. He wanted that honesty forever. “I’m sorry, too,” he said, “for accusing you of abandoning me. Adults make me...uncomfortable.”

“You’re forgiven. I’m sorry, too,” Kurt replied. “I didn’t know you weren’t with me, or I would have stayed to ward her off. She’s really nice, though. My dad, too. They wouldn’t be mean to you on purpose.”

Blaine wasn’t sure what to say to that. So, he finally settled on nodding. “You’re forgiven as well. Thanks for understanding,” he whispered.

“Always.” Kurt grinned, grabbing Blaine’s backpack and pulling out a bunch of notebooks and folders he’d carefully put together to help his soulmate keep track of his assignments. Everything was properly color-coded and labeled, and just seeing it made Kurt happy. This was a system he could be proud of. “So, let’s start with biology. Did you get any new assignments today?”

“No.”

“Good. Then, let’s work on this sheet about genomes.” He pulled out the paper, scooting himself back until he was leaning against the headboard. “Come here,” he said, beckoning to Blaine.

Slowly, Blaine slid backward until he felt something solid behind his back. He accepted the worksheet from Kurt, smiling softly when he felt Kurt’s arm slide along his shoulders and wrap around him.

“Okay. So, let’s start with number one.”

Blaine nodded, wriggling just a bit to get comfy. He leaned his head back just a little until it was resting against Kut’s shoulder. He was suddenly feeling snuggly, and his soulmate felt safe.

“Read it,” Kurt instructed, leaning in to brush a kiss against the top of Blaine’s head.

At that, Blaine smiled just a bit. He could get used to this.

The next day, after finishing up at the tire shop, Kurt pulled out his phone and sent Blaine a text. 

-12:06 pm:  _ Hey! Just finished at the shop. Wanna hang out? _

-12:06 pm:  _ We could grab lunch? _

A few minutes later, Kurt’s phone pinged with a response.

-12:09 pm:  _ At school. Bleachers. _

-12:10 pm:  _ Do you want me to meet you there, Blaine? _

-12:12 pm:  _ Yeah. _

Kurt hopped into his Navigator, taking a moment to check his hair and face in the mirror before pulling away from the shop and driving the few blocks to the school. As he got closer, he could see a group of students behind the bleachers. There were several motorcycles parked on the sidewalk behind them, apparently brought in through the walk-in gate that had been jimmied open. He couldn’t make out what any of them were doing, but he could see that a few of them were swinging on the support railings underneath the bleachers while others stood around or sat on the floor. They seemed to be having a good time.

Pulling into a parking space, Kurt took out his phone and texted Blaine again.

12:19 pm:  _ I’m here in the parking lot. _

He stayed in the car, waiting for a response, watching the group of students, probably eight or so in total in his rearview mirror. Finally, he got a response from Blaine. 

12:23 pm:  _ Come over. _

Slowly, Kurt got out of his car and picked his way across the parking lot, through the open gate, and over toward the bleachers. The closer he walked, he could tell he was beginning to draw the attention of the other students there. A few of them even began making comments.

“Woah! Who invited Lady Hummel?”

“You here to cheer us on, lady?”

“Blaine, you bring us a fairy to pick on?”

“Who invited the rat?”

Kurt tried not to let the comments get to him, but he had to admit that they were a little bit insulting. To add insult to injury, it didn’t appear that Blaine was going to stand up for him either, and that stung, too. As he got close enough to tell who was commenting, he could also tell why Blaine wasn’t standing up for him; he was apparently drunk.

“Heeeeeeey,” Blaine greeted, struggling to push himself up from the ground. "Look, everybody! Kurt's here!"

"Yeah?" Puckerman said, coming up from where he'd been doing pull-ups under the bleachers. "And, why is that, Anderson? He here to practice your little fairy musical?"

"No!" Blaine smirked. "I asked him."

"Figured that out, dumb fuck," Puck said. "Why?" He strode a little closer, his thumbs hooked in his front pockets and his eyes locked on Kurt's face. 

Kurt took a tentative step back. "Blaine," he said cautiously, watching Puck, "I think we should go home."

"Whyyyyyy?" Blaine whined. "I don' wanna leave yet, Kurt! We're havin' an amaaaaaaazing time!"

“I know, but we have some things we need to do. So, it’s time to go home.” He reached out his hand to his soulmate, but withdrew it quickly when Puck lunged for him.

“The man doesn’t want to leave,” Puck hissed. “He may have invited you, but no one else wants you here. You should go before things get ugly.”

“You would beat me up?” Kurt asked. He really didn’t doubt that he or his friends would. It was widely known that they didn’t care for the Cheerios or for the gays, so Kurt was doubly on their hit list. Getting him alone today when they were all drunk and aggressive was probably the window of opportunity they’d been waiting for, and he felt dumb for giving it to them. Still, he felt compelled to rescue his soulmate despite his quickly palpating heart, so he took a step closer. “Blaine,” he said loudly, not waiting for Puck to respond to his question. “You told me you wanted me to come here. Why?”

“You said you wanted to hang out,” Blaine shrugged. “And, my friends are so cool! So, I thought you could stay with us.” He patted the ground beside himself. “Sit with me.” The second part of his speech was another whine, but no one else seemed to mind.

“Hey, man. You got a cigarette?” Karofsky asked as Kurt sat down on the cement near Blaine.

“Yeah!” Blaine pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from the pile of beer cans next to him and handed them over.

“You smoke, too?” Kurt hissed, watching in horror as Karofsky pulled out a cigarette and lit up.

“You want one, too?” Blaine asked, offering him the pack.

“Um, no.” Kurt shook his head, glancing around him. Puck had retreated a bit but was still glaring at him from his spot beneath the bleachers. There was a small group of guys a little ways off, all of them lying on their backs and smoking, presumably weed if the scent of skunk was anything to go by. A few other guys stood around talking and throwing back beers as they laughed at one another’s antics. All in all, this was not where Kurt wanted to be, and he was desperate to leave. “Blaine,” he whispered, tapping his soulmate lightly on the shoulder. “Can we please go? I want to hang out with you but not here.” 

“Whyyyy?” Blaine wrapped an arm around Kurt’s shoulders, leaning heavily against him. “I like it here.”

“I know, but what if we go see a movie? Or, grab some pizza?”

“Can eeeeeeveryone come?”

“I was...thinking it would be just you and me,” Kurt answered slowly, watching Puckerman as he narrowed his eyes at them. “We can hang out with all your friends some other time.”

“Ride my bike?”

“Um, no. That stays here for now. We’ll take my car and come back for your bike later.”

“Humph.” Blaine snorted grumpily, crossing his arms across his chest and pouting. “You’re bossy.” He said this far too loudly, drawing the attention of Puckerman. Again.

“This lady messin’ with you, Anderson?” Puck asked, sauntering back over. “I can beat her ass for you, send her packing.” He looked at Kurt meaningfully, hoping to drive the sting of calling him a lady in just a bit farther as well as let him know he’d have no problem kicking his ass.

“Leave Kurt ‘lone!” Blaine told him, batting at Puck’s leg. “He’s nice. Just bein’ bossy right now.”

“I think you should go,” Puck snarled.

“No!” Blaine yelled. “Kurt, stay!”

“What the fuck do you want with Lady Hummel?” Azimio asked, finally coming over from where he’d been yucking it up with some of the guys. “You turn gay on us all of a sudden, Anderson?” He laughed as if this was the most hilarious thing he’d ever said.

Kurt could feel Blaine stiffen beside him. At least he wasn’t drunk enough to start confessing things. That was the last thing they needed.

“Anderson is gay! Anderson is gay!” The guys that Azimio had been talking to circle up around them, laughing and taunting them. “Come on, Anderson! Suck his dick! If Lady Hummel even has one!”

Blaine didn’t last very long. “Shut the fuck up!” he yelled, jumping to his feet and swaying just a tiny bit. “Shut the fuck up right now. I’ll kick your asses if you don’t shut up!”

“Anderson’s sensitive,” Azimio mocked. “Somebody’s time of the month?” He snorted as he laughed uproariously again.

“That’s fuckin’ it!” Blaine yelled, leaping forward to clock Azimio in the nose. “You guys asked for it!”

“Blaine! What the fuck, man?” Puck yelled, grabbing Blaine around the waist and hauling him backward as he tried to throw more punches at Azimio. “You need to calm the fuck down, man. You can’t take on all of us, you idiot.”

“Come on, Blaine. Let’s go,” Kurt tried again, holding out a hand for his soulmate. He knew it probably wasn’t appropriate for them to hold hands in front of Blaine’s so-called friends, but he didn’t care. Right now, he needed to get them the hell out of there and call the police. This was dangerous, and someone was going to get hurt. Seriously hurt.

Azimio stood off to the side, eyes and nose streaming as a few of the guys tried to talk him down from going after Blaine again. Puck was holding onto Blaine, trying to calm him down while casting Kurt strange looks. Finally, he said, “He doesn’t wanna go with you, Hummel. So get your ass out of here before you get hurt.”

“I’m not leaving without Blaine.”

“Why are you so goddamned obsessed with him all of a sudden? You know, just because he joined your lame ass musical for a little while doesn’t mean he’s anything other than a badass. He’ll figure that out once he pulls his fuckin’ head out of his ass. He doesn’t want anything to do with you or any other Cheerio. He doesn’t like it up the ass, so just back the fuck off.”

“You don’t know anything about him,” Kurt said under his breath. “Not a damn thing.”

“What was that?” Puck asked, stepping in Kurt’s direction. “Are you asking for a fight? Cuz I can kick your pale little fairy ass any day of the week.”

“Back off, Puckerman,” Blaine spat from behind him. “I’m fuckin’ leavin’.” He pulled away from the little group of guys that had surrounded him and stalked toward Kurt. “Just leave Kurt the fuck alone. Me, too.”

“What the hell, man?” Puck asked, catching his arm as he walked by. “We were havin’ fun ‘til Hummel’s gay ass showed up. Just tell him to leave, and we can hang out some more. I’ve got a joint I’ll split with you.”

Taking a deep breath, Blaine whirled around, squaring his shoulders to look Puck straight in the face. “Stop with the fuckin’ gay jokes, man. You don’t know a damn thing about me. You know why I invited Kurt here? He’s my fuckin’ soulmate. I’m fuckin’ gay. So, shove it up your ass, all of you, and leave us the fuck alone.” He spun around before Puck could say anything in response, grabbed Kurt’s hand, and began to march toward the exit. “We’re leaving, Kurt. Come on.”

“You’re fuckin’ gay?” Puck called after him, too shocked by what had just happened to do anything but watch his friend walk away.

Blaine flipped him the bird, never turning around. “Fuck you, Puckerman,” he called over his shoulder.

Kurt didn’t say anything until they were safely in the Navigator with the doors locked. Blaine was breathing heavily beside him in the passenger seat, staring out the window, not speaking. “Hey,” Kurt whispered, reaching out a hand to rest lightly on Blaine’s shoulder. “I’m really proud of you.”

“Ha!” Blaine snorted. “Yeah, right.”

“Really. I am. I’m proud of you for telling your friends who you really are. That takes guts, and--”

“Just cut the crap,” Blaine said in an icy tone. “I don’t want to hear a speech about how great it is to come out of the closet.”

“I wasn’t going to say that. Coming out is not easy; take it from me. I pretended to be in love with Rachel Berry to avoid it, and after I finally did, I felt more alienated than I ever had before until I joined the Cheerios. I just wanted to tell you that I’m proud of you, and I’ll do whatever I can to make things easier for you.”

“I’m not joining the Cheerios,” Blaine muttered, relaxing just a bit.

“That’s something I would pay to see,” Kurt teased, leaning over to kiss Blaine’s cheek lightly. “Wanna go back to my house? We can watch a movie and eat ice cream?”

“Uh, sure.” He was silent for a moment as Kurt put on his seatbelt and slowly backed out of the parking space. “Thanks for, um, for saving me today.”

Kurt didn’t quite know how to respond. “You told me to come,” he said finally. “I guess I didn’t really expect you to be drunk and smoking cigarettes.”

“Not sure what you expected.”

“I dunno,” Kurt replied, shrugging. “We never really talked about it, and before I knew we were soulmates, I didn’t pay a lot of attention to what went on behind the bleachers. I mean, I guess I knew, but I didn’t really think about it. Not until today, anyway.” He paused, debating whether to ask what was on his mind or not. Finally, he decided to risk it. “You gonna quit?” he asked softly.

Blaine stiffened again. “You gonna make me?”

“Technically, I can’t. I am going to ask you to, though. Drinking and smoking aren’t good for your health. You’ll get lung cancer and liver failure if you do it too much.”

Neither of the boys spoke for the rest of the drive back to Kurt’s. They were both considering what they’d seen that day, neither sure how to talk to the other about what they were feeling. Their soulbond was a mixture of far too many emotions for either one of them to process, and in the end, no one spoke until they were in Kurt’s driveway.

“What do you want to do this afternoon?” Blaine asked in a hoarse voice when Kurt had killed the engine.

Turning to look at him, Kurt fidgeted for a moment, folding and refolding his hands in his lap. Finally, he said, “I want to spend the day learning about you. We can watch your favorite show, listen to your favorite music, eat your favorite foods.” He stopped, shrugging. “We’re soulmates, and I… well, I want to get to know you better if we’re going to be spending forever together.” He leaned forward ‘til his nose was only a few inches from Blaine’s face. “You’re important to me, Blaine,” he whispered. “And, no matter what you think, I’m really proud of you for what you did earlier with your friends. Think of today as a celebration of you being amazing.”

“I’m not amazing,” Blaine scoffed. “And, I don’t think you’re going to like any of my favorites.”

“Well, I won’t know until I try, right?” Kurt asked, leaning away and smiling. “I’ll race you inside!” With that, he threw his door open and raced toward his front porch, Blaine panting just a few paces behind him.

“Well, hello, boys,” Mrs. Hummel greeted when they burst through the door. “I didn’t expect to see you here today, Blaine.”

“We’re going to spend the day upstairs,” Kurt informed her, kicking off his shoes and tossing his jacket lazily onto the bench beside the front door before making a beeline to the fridge. “We, uh, we haven’t had lunch yet, so I was going to make us some sandwiches before we start a movie.”

“Um, Kurt, I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” his mother said slowly, watching her son pull several condiments out of the fridge. “You know how your father feels about you having boys in your room, and--”

“We’ll leave the door open, Mom. You and Dad can check on us whenever you want. We’re just going to hang out. And, besides, Blaine and I ar--” He stopped when he saw Blaine’s eyebrows raise in alarm. “We’re, um, we’re really good friends,” he finished lamely. “We’re not going to be inappropriate.”

Elizabeth sighed. She’d known that someday this would happen. Kurt was practically an adult; he’d be graduating high school in less than two months, and though he hadn’t said anything yet, she was sure he’d gotten his soulmark. She knew that hormones flared after that, and even if you weren’t with your soulmate, it was easy to find yourself wanting to get intimate with someone. She’d been a teenager once, and she remembered how badly she’d wanted to spend time alone with a boy, even before she met Burt. She understood what her son was going through, and she wanted to be sympathetic. However, she also knew her husband, and he would not enjoy their plan. “Why don’t you watch your movie in the basement?” she asked. “There’s surround sound an--”

“My bed’s comfier, Mom. Plus, we don’t get Netflix downstairs.” He slapped the top slice of bread onto the second sandwich and reached across the counter to pat at her hand. “I promise we’ll leave the door open, and I promise we won’t be inappropriate.” He smiled winningly at her, knowing she couldn’t resist his adorable grin.

“Fine. But make sure that door stays open,” she said. “Enjoy your movie.” She glanced at Blaine, giving him a soft smile. He’d just been standing there, watching their whole exchange without moving, and she realized as she looked at him that something seemed a bit off about him. She just couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. Before she could take too long in considering it, however, the boys had taken off up the stairs, sandwiches, chips, cookies, and sodas in their hands. 

Kurt didn’t even bother to flip on the light when he entered his room. Instead, he flopped on the bed, grabbing his television remote and turning it on. “So, what’s your favorite movie?” he asked Blaine excitedly.

Blaine didn’t answer immediately, waiting until he was situated on the bed to answer his soulmate, a wary expression on his face. “You’re not going to like it,” he warned.

“Oh, come on. It can’t be that bad. Just tell me.” He smiled widely at Blaine, finger poised to begin searching for the title on Netflix.

“Fine. It’s  _ Silence of the Lambs _ .”

“Wh-why?” There was surprise on Kurt’s face, the emotion reflected in their soulbond. It surprised Blaine, however, that there didn’t appear to be any judgment in his tone, just curiosity.

Blaine shrugged. “I like serial killers. I mean, like, I think they-they’re interesting. Obviously, they’re not-not, like, good people.”

“Blaine, I knew what you meant,” Kurt reassured, giggling at the panic in Blaine’s eyes. “I was just surprised. I haven’t met anyone that loves serial killers before.”

“You’d be surprised how many of us there are,” Blaine mumbled, stuffing another bite of sandwich in his face.

“I don’t want to know,” Kurt replied, clicking on the title. “You know, I’ve never seen this movie. Or, any other scary movie for that matter. I don’t really like them.”

“Well, I think you’ll like this one,” Blaine said, leaning in closer to his soulmate. He’d never really been a cuddler before, but it seemed natural to want to press against Kurt and feel his warm, solid presence behind him. It was relaxing.

“I’m going to try,” Kurt promised, pressing a kiss to the top of Blaine’s head. “Comfortable?” he asked, smiling down at him. He hadn’t expected to be snuggling with his soulmate, but he wasn’t going to turn it down if that’s what Blaine wanted.

“Completely,” Blaine answered, his eyes trained on the television and the opening scenes of his favorite movie.

The afternoon passed quickly by, and both of the boys found that they were quite comfortable with one another. They joked and laughed together, cuddling and touching gently, caressing knuckles and nuzzling necks as they watched TV. After  _ Silence of the Lambs  _ was over, they switched to Blaine’s favorite show,  _ Criminal Minds _ . And, somewhere during the third or fourth episode, Blaine began to whine.

“Don’t feel good,” he whimpered as Kurt adjusted himself against the headboard. “My stomach hurts.”

“I’m sorry,” Kurt whispered, brushing away a strand of hair and kissing his temple lightly. “Just relax. Try to fall asleep. That might help. Do you want me to get you anything? Tea?”

“Mmm, no,” Blaine answered, sliding down the mattress a little bit until his head was pillowed in his soulmate’s lap. He was quiet for a few minutes as he watched Reid profess all his knowledge about a 17th-century poet. “I wish I was smarter,” he mumbled. 

“You’re very smart,” Kurt reassured him. “You’ve done amazing this week in class; I know you can keep it.” He rubbed Blaine’s shoulder gently. “I’m really proud of you.”

Blaine could feel his face flush, and he muttered into Kurt’s leg, “Thanks.” A few minutes later, he was snoring softly in Kurt’s lap.

Smiling down at his soulmate, Kurt turned the volume down on the TV and adjusted a blanket over Blaine’s hip. Then, he leaned back to watch the show. He wanted to know more about Blaine, and he couldn’t think of a better way than to watch his favorite show.

A few hours later, Burt called up the stairs, “Kurt! Dinner!”

Gently, Kurt shook Blaine. “Hey. Do you want to come down and have dinner?”

“Ugh…” Blaine moaned, rolling onto his back and rubbing at his eyes. “Wha’? Wha’ did you say?”

“Dinner is ready. Do you want to come down and eat?”

“Nooo,” he moaned. “My stomach still hurts. And, I’m tired.” 

“Stay here and nap then,” Kurt soothed. “I’ll bring you up some crackers and some tea when I come back up.”

“Mmm, thanks,” Blaine mumbled, grabbing one of Kurt’s pillows and rolling to his other side, snuggling his face into the cool surface.

Kurt couldn’t hold back a smile at the creases on Blaine’s slightly puffy face. He was so frickin’ adorable. After pressing a gentle kiss to his soulmate’s cheek, he clomped down the stairs to eat dinner with his parents. 

Whether it was some act of Fate or just a slip of the brain on Elizabeth’s part, none of them ever knew, but somehow, she forgot to tell Burt that Kurt had a boy in his bedroom. And, Kurt, for his part, didn’t particularly feel like mentioning it. He was enjoying playing house with his soulmate, and he didn’t want him to leave, especially not when he was feeling sick to his stomach. So, when Burt and Elizabeth didn’t mention Blaine during dinner  _ at all _ and Kurt didn’t bring him up, Kurt’s heart gave a happy little leap; Blaine was going to get to spend the night, and no one would know.

After dinner, Kurt grabbed a packet of saltine crackers out of the cabinet and made a quick cup of peppermint tea before heading back up the stairs. His parents had already retreated to the living room so Burt could catch the early news. While the water heated, he poked his head in to tell his parents that he was going back up to his room to watch a movie and go to bed, citing that he was tired after working that morning.

“Good night, Kurt,” they said, smiling at him. “Sweet dreams. We’ll see you in the morning.”

“Good night,” he replied with a smile, returning to the kitchen to grab the crackers and tea before heading back up the stairs to wake his soulmate. “Hey,” he whispered, shaking Blaine’s shoulder gently. “I brought you some crackers and tea. Can you wake up enough to eat a little bit?”

“Ugh…” Blaine moaned, stretching a bit. “‘M sleepy.”

“I know. I’m afraid you won’t sleep through the night if you don’t wake up for a little bit now. You’ve been asleep all evening.”

“Never get to sleep,” Blaine grumbled, pushing himself up into a sitting position and rubbing at his eyes. 

“I’ll let you go back to sleep in a little bit,” Kurt told him, setting his tea down on the nightstand before climbing into bed next to his soulmate. “For right now, though, you need to eat a few crackers and have this tea.” He passed the items to Blaine before asking, “How’s your stomach?”

“Still hurts.” He nibbled slowly on a cracker. “We gonna watch some more  _ Criminal Minds _ ?”

“Do you want to? I kept watching after you fell asleep earlier. It’s actually a pretty good show.”

“I want to,” Blaine confirmed. “Or…” He trailed off, nibbling a bit more at his cracker.

“Or?”

“Or, what’s your favorite show? It’s not fair that we’ve only been watching my stuff today.”

“That’s how I wanted it,” Kurt answered. “We’ll have plenty of time to watch the things I like. It seemed like you were pretty upset today, and I wanted to make you feel better.” He smiled at Blaine, unsure if he could make it out in the dim room. He hoped Blaine knew he was being sincere, and he tried to send some loving vibes through their bond.

“No one’s ever done that before,” Blaine finally whispered, the admission difficult for him to make. “Puckerman always just takes me out drinking or buys me weed. My dad yells. Grandpa, well…” He stopped, suddenly wondering how his grandfather had held up without him that day. He’d forgotten to check in since he was having such a good time with Kurt. “I, uh, I should go.” He began to slide off the bed, groping in the dark for his riding boots that he’d long since kicked off.

“Go? Wait! You can’t go! You’re not feeling well, and you haven’t eaten anything.”

“I have to che--I can’t stay. I have to go.” As much as he wanted to explain to Kurt about his family situation right now, there wasn’t time. And, even if there was, he wasn’t sure that Kurt would stick around if he knew what he went through at home. Being around Blaine was a recipe for, well, for a lot of problems, and Blaine had no desire to make his soulmate jump ship this early. No, he needed to see if Kurt really wanted to be with him first before he told him about the shit show that was his home life.

Kurt had a firm grasp on his arm, and he wasn’t letting go. “Blaine,” he hissed. “I don’t want you to go. You don’t feel well, and you were definitely drunk earlier. Just stay with me for now, and I’ll take you home soon. I promise.”

Blaine hesitated. He really wanted to stay. Going home would definitely not be fun, and any hope he’d had for a good weekend would be completely lost when he walked through the doors. Even if he escaped first thing in the morning, whatever his dad would do or say when he got home would be enough to make him angry and defiant all weekend. On the other hand, his grandfather needed him. He was, in fact, the whole reason Blaine hadn’t run away or tried to get emancipated yet. His grandfather needed someone to care for him, and his father couldn’t be trusted. He really needed to get back and make sure he was okay. “Kurt, I re--”

“Blaine, sit down,” Kurt instructed firmly. “You’re going to eat the crackers and drink your tea. If you still really want to go home after that, I’ll take you. But we’re not going now.”

Slowly, Blaine sank back down, toeing off his boots again and scooting back onto the bed. There was something new running through their soul bond, something like...dominance? Whatever it was, he felt compelled to follow his soulmate’s directions, and he took another cracker from the package, beginning to eat again.

“Much better,” Kurt praised, rubbing Blaine’s thigh for just a second. “Now, should we watch some more  _ Criminal Minds _ ?” 

“Sure.” The answer was more mumble than word around the mouthful of cracker, but Kurt seemed to understand him because they were soon watching the seventh episode of the series. Blaine had to admit that the crackers and the tea were helping his stomach. He supposed that his stomach might hurt from the combination of drinking, smoking weed, and not eating enough that day, but he wasn’t going to tell Kurt that. He liked being taken care of, and it was easy to pretend that he was just sick; there was no need to spoil it with reality. After he finished his tea and as many crackers as he wanted, he cuddled back into Kurt, happy to have someone play with the loose hairs at the nape of his neck and trace light patterns along his skin. He hadn’t been lying when he said that he was tired because before the episode was over, he was asleep again, snoring lightly against Kurt’s shoulder.

Kurt grinned down at his soulmate, letting himself imagine, just for a moment, that they were a couple, living together in their own house, snuggled together in their own bed. It was easy enough to picture what that could be like, grocery shopping together, cooking and cleaning together, and Kurt had to admit that up until that week, he hadn’t been sure a dream like that was possible. Even after getting his soulmark, Blaine had rejected him, and Kurt had known he’d never be able to create a life with someone who wasn’t his soulmate, especially knowing that his mate was out there, alive and angry at the world. Now, though, after seeing this softer side of Blaine that few other people seemed to know, he felt confident that one day, that could be them. He realized, of course, that that wasn’t their current situation and that he should probably wake Blaine up to take him back home. But his soulmate looked so cute there, sleeping peacefully against his shoulder that he couldn’t bring himself to do it. So, he decided that if Blaine didn’t wake himself up before ten thirty that night, he was just going to spend the night. So, he grabbed his phone to entertain himself for a while, switching off the TV and turning his attention to his favorite Broadway trivia game. 

Blaine didn’t wake up before ten thirty. He didn’t wake up at all, actually, until after two. Even then, it was only enough to roll over to his other side, cuddling up to Kurt as the little spoon. As he fell back asleep, he mused to himself,  _ I don’t think I’ve ever been the little spoon before. It’s nice… _ He didn’t wake when Kurt slid out of bed a little after seven to shower and dress, either. In fact, he didn’t wake up until there was loud clomping on the stairs and then Burt stuck his head into the room. 

“Hey, Kurt! Rise and shine, buddy. Your mom made pancakes for breakfast, and if you don’t get down here quick she--” He cut off when Kurt peered at him from around the corner where he’d been putting on his moisturizer. 

“Yeah, Dad?” he asked as he rubbed the moisturizer into his chin.

Blaine picked that exact moment to stir, sitting up groggily and rubbing at his eyes. “Wha’s going on?” he mumbled, squinting around the room. “Where am I?”

“Kurt, who the hell is this?” Burt asked, pointing at Blaine. “And, why is he in your bed?”

“That’s Blaine, Dad. He spent the night.”

“Why? Did he sneak in through your window last night, Kurt? You know better than t--We have rules in this house!”

“Oh, my God, Dad. He was here almost all day yesterday. He came over to hang out, didn’t feel well, and ended up falling asleep.”

“Well, nobody told me. And, you know that you can’t have sleepovers  _ in your bed _ , Kurt! Especially not other guys!”

“Dad! We were clothed the whole time! Nothing happened!”

“Is he--Blaine, are you gay?” Burt asked, frustrated. He was getting nowhere arguing with his son, and he needed some answers. Now. 

“Uh, um…” Blaine stuttered uncomfortably. He had no idea what was going on, was barely awake, and was afraid to admit that he was gay to anyone, especially after the previous day’s interaction with his friends.

“Dad! Leave him alone!” Kurt yelled, getting up from his vanity and coming to stand beside Blaine. “We didn’t do anything. It’s--”

“Burt? Kurt? Everything okay up here?” Elizabeth asked from the top of the stairs. “What’s go--Oh, Blaine. I didn’t know you were still here, dear.”

“You knew about this?” Burt hollered, whirling around to look at his wife. “You knew Kurt had another boy up here in his bed? I thought we had rules, Beth!”

“I-I-I must have completely forgotten…” Elizabeth sputtered. “They were so quiet up here, and--”

“My son cannot have another gay kid in his bed!” Burt turned back to the room, looking at the two teenage miscreants in front of him. “Kurt, we have rules for a reason. Hell, you have rules you gave yourself as a kid, remember? All those about saving yourself for your soulmate and not being with anyone else? What about those, hmm? Did you just throw them all away?”

“No,” Kurt gritted out, his teeth clenched tightly. He was so close to telling his dad the truth, but he could feel Blaine’s fear and panic coursing through their soulbond; he didn’t want to tell unless he had to.

“Well, it certainly seems like it to me. You haven’t even gotten your soulmark yet, and here you are, shacking up with some other boy!”

“I have my soulmark,” Kurt said tightly.

“You do?” Elizabeth asked, “Kurtie, that’s wonderful! What does it say? Who’s the lucky boy?”

Silently, he glanced at Blaine, asking permission with his eyes. He didn’t want to tell without Blaine’s consent, but it seemed that they were being put between a rock and a hard place here.

“Well?” Burt asked when he didn’t answer right away. “Who is it, Kurt? Your mother asked you a question.”

“It’s, um, it’s…” He continued to look at his soulmate, begging for an answer with his eyes.

“Spit it out!” Burt demanded. 

Blaine gave him an almost imperceptible nod and reached for his hand, and Kurt felt a particularly large wave of fear roll through their soulbond. He grabbed Blaine’s hand, squeezing it tightly before he turned to face his father, making eye contact. “It’s Blaine,” he said quietly but firmly.

“This Blaine?” Burt asked skeptically. “That seems pretty convenient, son. Lying isn’t going to help you stay out of trouble.”

Kurt was about to open his mouth in protest, but his mother beat him to the punch. “Burt Hummel! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!”

Burt turned back to her with a furrowed brow. “Why? He didn’t tell us about having a boy in his bed, and now this boy is conveniently his soulmate. That’s hard to believe, Beth.”

“This is exactly why I didn’t tell you!” Kurt roared. “I knew this is how you would react, and I had a responsibility to take care of Blaine! I made the right choice.”

“Like hell you did! Let me see your soulmark.”

“Burt, no!” Elizabeth grabbed him by the arm, spinning her husband around. “That is private. He doesn’t have to show you his mark unless he wants to, and you have no right to demand it from him. If he says Blaine is his soulmate, I believe him, and you should, too. Now, come downstairs and eat and leave the boys alone.” Her eyes flashed angrily, and Kurt could tell from his spot behind his father that he was definitely feeling her rage through their bond. 

His father flinched a bit, staring at the floor for a moment before letting out a puff of air. “You’re right,” he said finally, not to anyone in particular. “Soulmarks are private, and I have no right to ask you to show me yours. I trust you, and I’m sorry for letting my anger get the best of me.” He paused, turning to make eye contact with Blaine. “Blaine, I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot. I’d like to get to know my son’s soulmate the right way, if you’ll let me.”

“We’ll be downstairs,” Elizabeth said, wrapping her arm around Burt’s and preparing to lead him down the stairs. “Come down whenever you’re ready.” She smiled at the boys before walking away with Burt on her arm. As they went, Kurt could hear her mumbling something about how proud she was of him.

“Are you okay?” Kurt asked when his parents were out of earshot. “I’m so sorry about that. I had no idea my dad would get so crazy.”

“I’m fine,” Blaine answered, sounding far off. “I should go. My dad will be wondering where I am.”

“Can’t you at least stay and have some breakfast with us before I drive you home?”

“No. I need to go, now.”

Kurt opened his mouth to protest but quickly snapped it back shut again. There was still fear running through their soulbond, but he could sense some desperation, too; he understood why. That was a horrible way to wake up, and he felt really bad about it. “I’ll drive you,” he said. “Just let me put on my shoes.”

Blaine gave him a curt nod and finished pulling on his boots in silence. There was a lot going on in his head, and he was afraid if he spoke, he might end up crying or saying something he’d regret. He loved spending time with Kurt. Hell, he just loved Kurt, and their night together had been something he’d never dared to even dream about. But he needed to face reality. Burt’s reaction was reality, not the fairytale that Kurt made him feel like they were living. The anger, fear, hurt, and suspicion were reality, and the more time he spent living in reality, the easier it was to get used to.

The boys managed to avoid questions when they went down the stairs and out the front door to Kurt’s waiting Navigator. They didn’t talk as they drove either, except for Blaine’s comment of, “Puckerman must have taken it,” when they drove past the school to check for Blaine’s motorcycle. Nothing was said until they pulled up in front of Blaine’s house, and Kurt killed the engine.

“I’m really sorry about this morning,” Kurt whispered. “I’m sorry he woke you up like that.”

“It’s fine,” Blaine answered with a shrug. “It was bound to happen anyway. I’m not a favorite of parents.”

Kurt wasn’t sure what that meant, but he decided that it wasn’t the time to ask. “I had a really nice day with you yesterday, and I’m glad you spent the night. I liked...taking care of you.” He blushed lightly at the admission, but Blaine needed to know.

“I liked it, too.” 

There was a long pause where Kurt was hoping Blaine would say something. Just as he was about to say something more, the front door of Blaine’s house opened and a scruffy man dressed only in a white tank and dirty gray boxers came stumbling out of the front door.

“I have to go.” Blaine shoved his door open, stepping out of the car quickly without saying a word.

“Blaine, wait!” Kurt called after him, frantically turning the key so he could roll down the window to call after him. “Aren’t you going to say good-bye?”

The other boy turned to face him, eyes wide, about to tell him to be quiet and leave, but it was too late.

“Where the fuck have you been, Blaine?” the scruffy man yelled from the front lawn. “Your grandpa has been home all night shitting his pants, and there was no one here to change his fuckin’ diaper! Were you out with your little boyfriend? That’s right. Puckerman came by. Told me my son is a little fuckin’ fairy boy now.” 

Everything the man said was a jab at his son, and Kurt felt Blaine’s anger rush back in full force. There was also a touch of sadness there, too, but the sensation was mostly pure rage.

“Shut up!” Blaine yelled, rooted to his spot. “Get back in the house, Dad. You’re fuckin’ drunk.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, gay boy,” his father roared. “You get your ass in the house and take care of your fucking grandfather. Do something respectable around here for once.”

“Blaine. Get back in the car, please,” Kurt hissed through the open window. “You don’t have to go. You can stay with me.”

“Go home, Kurt. I have to handle this.”

“Blaine, please!” There was fear and concern woven in Kurt’s voice, and all traces of the dominance that Blaine had heard from him the night before had vanished.

How he wished the dominance was still there. He’d do anything to have the willpower to get back in Kurt’s Navigator and never go back in the house with his fucking drunk father. But a sense of responsibility toward his grandfather kept him standing in the street, even as Kurt’s pleas stung at his heart. “No. I have to stay. Go home.”

“Blaine--”

“Go, Kurt!” He turned, his hazel eyes close to tears. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow. I promise.” He wanted to tell him he loved him, but the words got caught in his throat, unable to push past the angry lump that was forming as his father continued to scream at him from the yard.

Kurt said it for both of them. “I love you. Be careful.” Then, he put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb, watching his soulmate through his rearview mirror. The last thing he saw before he got too far away was Blaine stalking into the front yard and punching his father square in the face.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for minor character death and discussions of child abuse in this chapter.

The next few weeks were full of change and emotions for Kurt and Blaine as they tried to figure out, in light of everything that had happened, what they were going to do. It was clear they weren’t going to be able to hide the fact that they were soulmates any longer, and even without a conversation, they both agreed that they needed to be a united front. Kurt’s first step in creating this front was driving home at lightning speed to talk to his parents about what had happened when he’d dropped Blaine off at his house.

_ “Mom! Dad! Where are you?” Kurt yelled the moment he walked through the door. “I have to talk to you about something, and it’s really important! Where are you?!” _

_ “Living room,” Elizabeth replied. “What’s the matter?” The concern was immediately written on her face when her son walked through the door and hollered for them, his face red from yelling and running, his eyes puffy from crying on his way back home. _

_ “I need...I think...Blaine…” Kurt was trying to catch his breath and keep himself from crying all at once. As a result, he couldn’t formulate an entire sentence and looked helplessly at his parents, hoping they could read his mind. They could not. _

_ “Kurt, take a deep breath and breathe,” Burt instructed, ever the calm and collected one. “Tell us what happened.” _

_ “Blaine’s dad just found out he’s gay, and he’s...he’s...he’s making fun of him!” Those weren’t the right words, but they were the only ones that came to mind as Kurt felt the panic beginning to build in his chest. _

_ “Can you explain that more?” Elizabeth asked. “What was his father saying?” _

_ “He-he kept calling him a ‘fairy’ and ‘gay.’ But not in a nice way. I-I think Blaine was afraid he was going to hurt him.” _

_ “Like, punch him or something?” Burt asked, raising an eyebrow. _

_ Kurt nodded vigorously. “I think he might have tried because I was trying to watch Blaine as I drove away, but I had to look at the road for a sec, and then Blaine was punching his dad!” _

_ “Blaine assaulted his father?” This question came from Burt, too, only this one sounded surprised. _

_ “I don’t know!” Kurt yelled, throwing his arms in the air. “All I know is that he can’t stay there! We have to help him, Dad, Mom. Please! He’s really scared. I can feel it!” _

_ “Son, breathe,” his father instructed again. “We can’t just walk into someone else’s house and demand he give us his kid.” _

_ “But he’s going to get hurt! Or, maybe he already is! I-I can’t feel much besides anger and sadness, but I was feeling that before he got out of the car. We can’t just leave him there!” Kurt was getting more and more worked up as he spoke, trying to get his parents to understand the gravity of the situation. Even though he wasn’t explaining everything as clearly as he could be, he was too worked up to formulate coherent sentences. He hadn’t even been able to talk about how he was feeling because he was too worried about Blaine, but he knew that if they didn’t agree to do something and quickly, he was going to take matters into his own hands, even if it meant losing his car. _

_ Elizabeth turned wide eyes to her husband. “Is there anything we can do?” she asked softly, placing a gentle hand on his arm. _

_ Burt shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never been in this situation before. Uh, Kurt, uh, how old is Blaine?” _

_ Kurt froze. He didn’t know. They hadn’t talked about that part before. “Um, 17, maybe? 18? I’m not sure. We, uh, we didn’t really talk about it.” _

_ “Too old to get the courts involved,” Burt muttered, trying to come up with a solution that wasn’t going to get himself into trouble but still help out his son. “Why don’t we, uh, why don’t we drive over to his house, and I’ll see if I can talk to his dad. If Blaine looks hurt in any way, and he’s willing, he can come back with us and stay here, at least for tonight. I don’t know what Mr. Anderson will say, but--” _

_ “Screw Mr. Anderson!” Kurt yelled, leaping forward to wrap his arms around his father’s neck. “Thank you, Dad! Thank you! Thank you!” _

_ “Yeah. You’re, uh, you’re welcome, kid. Just let me go grab my wallet and the keys. We’ll take my truck.” _

The drive to Blaine's had been basically silent; the only time anyone had spoken was when Kurt had given his father quiet directions. The conversation after Blaine's father had opened the door, however, had been anything but quiet. 

_ "Who the fuck are you?" Mr. Anderson asked, leaning heavily against the door frame. "And, what the hell do you want?"  _

_ Kurt craned to see around Mr. Anderson, eager for a glimpse of his soulmate. What he'd been feeling through their soulbond hadn't changed, but he was sure that Blaine had been beaten up. Based on the blood and spots already turning black and blue on his face, it was clear to tell that Blaine had at least gotten in a few good licks on his father.  _

_ "Mr. Anderson, I assume?" Burt asked, holding out a hand to the other man. When he didn't take it, Burt let it fall back to his side, continuing on. "Why don't we step outside and talk?" he asked. "My son is quite worried abou--" _

_ "I don't have nuthin' to say." Mr. Anderson gave Kurt a once over, his lip curled in disgust. "My faggot of a son don't need any help." He tried to shut the door, but Burt stepped in closer, blocking his path.  _

_ "I think we ought to step out here and talk," he repeated. This time, it was clear to everyone that he wasn't suggesting it. "We'll let the boys see one another, make sure they're okay." When Mr. Anderson still didn't make a move to leave the house, Burt added, "I've got friends in the police department. I'm sure I could place a call, let them know I'm concerned a minor is being abused. They'd have a warrant from the judge in less than an hour." _

_ That got Mr. Anderson moving, growling low in his throat as Kurt rushed past him. _

_ "Blaine?" Kurt called, panic evident in his voice. "Blaine? Where are you? Are you okay?" He quieted his breathing so he could hear his soulmate's response, but there didn't seem to be one. So, he pressed on. Blaine wasn't in the kitchen or dining room nor in the back room that looked like what was, at one time, an office. Now, there was a hospital bed in it and what appeared to be an old man lying on it, asleep. But no Blaine. Deciding to peek quickly into the living room before running up the stairs, Kurt breathed an audible sigh of relief when he saw Blaine lying on the couch, a bag of frozen peas across his face. "Blaine!" _

_ "Kurt?" Slowly, Blaine sat up, the frozen vegetables sliding off his face. He blinked rapidly, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the light, twisting his head to the side and letting out a sharp gasp at the pain.  _

_ "Oh my God! Blaine! Are you okay?" Kurt asked, rushing to his side. The bruise on the side of his face had been visible from across the room, but as he got closer, Kurt could see that there were other cuts, scrapes, and bruises along Blaine's chin, neck, and dipping down inside his shirt collar. He gasped, covering his face with his hands as sorrow and anger spilled out of him into their soulbond. "Stay here," he instructed, his voice quiet and emotional. "I'll be right back." _

_ "Where are you--?" _

_ "Stay right there," Kurt repeated, hurrying toward the front door. He stuck his head out, looking for his father. He finally spotted him leaning against their car, talking to Mr. Anderson. "Dad!" he called. "Dad!" _

_ "What is it, son?" Burt asked, turning to look his way.  _

_ All Kurt did was nod. He knew his father would know what it meant. Then, he disappeared back inside, running toward the kitchen to try to find some ice then back to the living room with a bag of frozen corn when his ice search came up empty.  _

_ "Where'd you go?" Blaine mumbled, the peas back over his face.  _

_ "Had to talk to my dad for a second," Kurt answered, sliding the bag of peas away and replacing it with corn. "Are you okay?" he asked softly. "What happened?" _

_ "Fight…" Blaine muttered. "Had to-- He was…" He moaned as the pain in his jaw flared. He didn't want to talk. _

_ "Shhh," Kurt whispered brushing hair away from his soulmate's face. "You don't have to talk; just listen. You're coming home with me." _

_ Blaine gave a startled sound, sliding the corn away from his face to squint quizzically at Kurt. "What?" _

_ "You're going to come live with me," Kurt repeated gently pushing the bag of corn back over Blaine's face. "It's not safe for you to stay here. I already arranged it with my parents." _

_ "But…" _

_ "Shhh." Kurt hushed him again, patting gently at Blaine's hand. "You can't stay here. Your dad's abusing you." _

_ "Grandpa…" Blaine muttered. "Have to--" _

_ "Do you take care of him?" Kurt asked softly. "Do you want me to go check on him?" Blaine nodded faintly, and Kurt rose. "I'll be right back," he reassured him. Then, he slipped out of the room toward the back of the house where he'd seen the hospital bed. The room was dark, the dark curtains making it difficult to see. He could just make out someone lying on the bed. He walked closer, clearing his throat. “Um, excuse me?” _

_ There was no answer. _

_ He tried again. “E-excuse me? Sir?” _

_ Nothing. _

_ Moving so that he was standing next to the bed, Kurt looked down at the form in front of him. It was an old man with graying hair and wrinkled skin. He was lying on his back, and his eyes were wide open, his mouth a little agape. Was he breathing? Kurt couldn’t be sure, but it didn’t look promising. He slapped a hand over his mouth to keep himself from screaming and backed out of the room in a hurry, running for the front door that was still hanging wide open. “Dad!” he called. “Dad! Call 9-1-1!” _

_ Both Burt and Mr. Anderson turned to look at him. Mr. Anderson spoke first. “What the hell are you doing, fairy boy?” he screeched, taking a trembling step forward. “Are you in there hurting my boy? So help me--” He didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence before Burt stepped in front of him and slugged him square in the face, knocking him to the ground. _

_ “Kurt? You okay?” He called, not moving from his spot but looking at his son. _

_ “I’m fine! It’s-it’s Blaine’s grandpa. I think he’s dead.” _

_ Burt nodded. “The cops are on their way. They’ll need to take a statement from Blaine.” He paused, not liking what he had to say next. “They’re going to have to see your soulmarks, too, Kurt. That’s the only way they’ll let him come and stay with us.” _

_ Kurt cringed but nodded anyway. That was the best way to protect his soulmate, and he would do whatever it took. “I’ll make sure we’re ready,” he said, turning to go back inside. He had a lot to tell Blaine, and he knew he wasn’t going to like any of it.  _

_ “I’ll get an ambulance on the way, too,” Burt called after him. “Make sure Blaine’s ready.” _

_ Flashing a thumbs up in his father’s direction, Kurt went back into the house, making a beeline for the living room.  _

_ While he was gone, Blaine had maneuvered himself into a sitting position and was holding the bag of frozen corn over his face. When he heard footsteps, he moved the bag away from his face a bit, smiling when he saw his soulmate. “How’s Grandpa?” he rasped. _

_ “I had my dad call for an ambulance, Blaine. He didn’t look well.” There was sympathy written all over Kurt’s face as he sat at the other end of the couch, pulling Blaine’s feet into his lap. “Dad said he’ll get an ambulance here as quick as he can.” _

_ Blaine nodded. That wasn’t the best news, but it wasn’t that he hadn’t been expecting something like this someday. His grandfather had been living with them for almost three years, ever since his parents’ divorce shortly after his grandmother’s death. He’d watched his grandfather grow steadily worse; really, it would be a blessing for the old man if he were to pass. He’d be able to finally escape his pain.  _

_ “Um, I have something else to tell you,” Kurt said quietly, clearing his throat. “The police are coming to take a statement about your dad’s abuse an--” _

_ “What?! You called the fucking police? Kurt, what the hell were you thinking?” _

_ “Blaine, you’re hurt! Your dad beat you up! Badly! You can hardly move! What else was I supposed to do?” He felt mad, far angrier than he should have been. He knew this was a shock. He knew Blaine had to be used to living like this when he didn’t so much as flinch when his dad began throwing insults his way. He knew it would be hard to convince Blaine to do the right thing, but he didn’t expect to have to put up a fight and defend his reasoning. _

_ “You’re supposed to butt the fuck out!” Blaine cried, kicking Kurt away. “I’m not abused, Kurt! You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” His voice was dark, angry, and his eyes flashed. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end. He couldn’t put his father back in jail. The man would never forgive him. _

_ “I can’t do that, Blaine.” Kurt struggled to keep his voice from cracking at the emotion he was feeling combined with the pulsing sensations from their soulbond. Anger, relief, fear, dread, and sadness were flooding through his body, and it was almost more than he could take. “You-you’re my soulmate; there’s no way I could leave you here when I knew you were hurting and scared. Blaine, your father isn’t supposed to treat you like this. He’s not supposed to scream at you and beat you up. He’s supposed to love you and support you, not treat you like this.” He gestured lamely to Blaine’s bruised and broken state, a few tears beginning to leak down his cheeks. _

_ Shaking his head, Blaine grimaced. “I couldn’t leave. I was expecting him to react like that. He’s always hated...people like me.” He swallowed hard. “Gays…” He looked away, unable to meet Kurt’s face. “I’ve always known I was like this, but I could never tell him. Not without getting beaten up. But I can’t talk to the police, Kurt. I can’t! He’ll never forgive me if he goes back to jail. I’ll never have a father again!” He looked up to see Burt standing behind his son with a police officer at his hip. _

_ “Yes, you will, son,” Burt said quietly, coming to crouch beside the curly-haired boy. “You’ll always have me. No real father would beat up his son or call him names for being exactly who he is. I know we didn’t get off on a great foot this morning, but I’ll always be there for you, for both of you.” He placed a hand lovingly on Kurt’s knee, smiling at Blaine. “You don’t need a father who doesn’t treat you with love and respect. Now, tell this good officer here what he needs to know, and we’ll get you home.” He smiled again, patting Kurt’s knee a few times before standing and leaving. _

_ “You’re Blaine Anderson?” the officer asked, coming around to take Burt’s place. _

_ “Um, ye-yes, sir,” Blaine answered softly. Somehow, Burt had made him feel better, and he could feel Kurt rubbing a gentle hand up and down his leg. He was still upset, but it helped to know that he wasn’t alone in this anymore. _

_ “And, you’re Mr. Hummel, I assume?” the officer asked, turning to look at Kurt. When he nodded, the officer said, “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to ask you to leave. Blaine needs to give his personal sta--” _

_ “I want him to stay.” Blaine cut the officer off, moving the now thawed bag of corn away from his face to make eye contact with the man. “I-I need him. Please.” _

_ With a heavy sigh, the officer relented. “Fine. But Mr. Hummel, please refrain from speaking while Blaine gives his statement. We can’t have any outside sources swaying his words.” _

_ “Yes, sir,” Kurt answered, continuing to rub Blaine’s leg as he watched the proceedings with wide eyes. _

_ “Good. Okay, Blaine. I need you to tell me in your own words what happened when Kurt dropped you off here at home earlier today.” _

_ Blaine’s voice was soft with emotion as he spoke. “When I got out of the car, my father began to call me names. He said I was a fairy, gay, a-a fag…” He paused, swallowing.  _

_ “And, was your father sober when he was saying these things to you? Did he seem in control of himself?” _

_ Blaine shook his head. “No. He was drunk. You could smell it on him if you got too close.” _

_ “So, what happened after he called you these names?” the officer asked gently. It was evident that he was feeling sorry for him already.  _

_ “I-I walked across the street to go into the house, but my father, he--he threatened to get in the car, follow Kurt, and shoot him. So, I-I punched him…” _

_ Kurt couldn’t hold back the small gasp at that. He’d had no idea that Blaine’s father had threatened his life. _

_ “Mr. Hummel. Please,” the officer said. His words lacked any emotion, and he didn’t look in Kurt’s direction. Instead, he placed a gentle hand on Blaine’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about punching him, Blaine. Just tell me what happened next.” _

_ “He punched back,” Blaine whispered, staring at Kurt’s fingers as they traveled back and forth across his leg. “He punched my face once. The rest of his blows landed on my chest and shoulders.” He pointed to the areas. “Then, he started trying to kick me, um, in the--in the…” He couldn’t finish the sentence. Instead, he gestured vaguely toward his crotch. “He said, um, he’d make me a useless gay boy, but when he tried to kick me, he fell on me. My wrist got twisted under him, and uh, I think he may have messed up my knee a little.” He swallowed again, glad that the worst of it was over. “He got in a few more punches before I was able to shove him off and get inside.” _

_ The officer nodded, finishing his notes. “Did he try to come after you again after you came in the house?” _

_ “No. He, uh, I locked him out, an-and then, when he finally found the spare key...he wasn’t so angry anymore.” _

_ “Good.” The officer clicked his pen and put it and his notebook back in his pocket before turning to face them again. “Blaine, I don’t want you to worry about the punches you threw. You’re not going to be in any legal trouble. You were acting in self-defense of yourself and your soulmate.” The officer gave Kurt a quick smile. “There’s only one more thing I need,” he went on, turning back to Blaine. “Before I can release you into the care of the Hummels, I’ll need to see both of your soulmarks, just to make everything legal. I know that these are typically quite...private, and I’m sorry to have to do this to the both of you.” _

_ Blaine cast a look in Kurt’s direction, unsure if it would be okay. They’d just gotten into a fight with Kurt’s dad that morning about seeing their soulmarks.  _

_ Kurt nodded. “We have to,” he whispered. “To keep you safe.” Silently, he moved out from beneath Blaine’s legs, standing and rolling his waistband down to reveal his soulmark emblazoned on his hip to the police officer.  _

_ “Thank you, Mr. Hummel,” the officer said, nodding in satisfaction. “Blaine?” _

_ Painstakingly, Blaine moved the strap of his tank top to the side, revealing Kurt’s name on his collarbone. _

_ “Thank you, Blaine,” the officer said, nodding again. “I’m releasing you into the care of Mr. Burt Hummel until your eighteenth birthday. Your father has been taken into custody, and the paramedics are taking care of your grandfather.” _

_ “I-is he going to be okay?” Blaine asked, afraid of what the answer would be. _

_ The officer set his mouth in a firm line. “I’m afraid your grandfather has passed, son,” he said softly. “I’m so sorry.” _

_ Blaine nodded, trying to fend off the tears. “It’s for the best,” he whispered, thankful to feel Kurt’s arms coming around him from behind. “Thank you.” _

_ “We all set here, officer?” Burt asked, coming back into the room. He had Blaine’s backpack slung over one shoulder and a duffel bag in the other. _

_ “We are,” the officer confirmed. “We’re releasing Blaine into your custody until he turns eighteen.” _

_ “Great. Let’s head for home, boys.” He held up the duffel. “I packed some clothes up for you, Blaine. I know they won’t be up to Kurt’s standards, but they’ll last you for a few days. After you get to feeling better, we can come back over here, and you can get whatever you need.” _

_ “I recommend you take Blaine to the hospital,” the officer announced before heading for the door. “His wrist is swollen, and his knee looks like it’s carrying some fluid in it, too.” _

_ “Does he need an ambulance?” Burt asked, concern on his face. _

_ “I doubt it,” the officer replied. “If you’re careful, you can drive him yourself.” _

_ “Let’s get you to the hospital then,” Burt answered, switching gears. “Kurt, you phone your mom, tell her what’s happening while I get Blaine loaded into the truck.” _

The rest of that day had gone off quite uneventfully. Blaine had been thoroughly checked out at the hospital and diagnosed with a sprained wrist and a bruised muscle in his knee, minor for what the event could have caused. After Blaine’s release, the three of them had piled back into the truck to go home where Kurt’s mother had been waiting on edge for the last several hours. Blaine was welcomed with open arms, and he and Kurt had immediately been granted permission to share a bedroom if they wanted. Burt had been sure to tell them that this was not a free pass to have sex as much as they wanted. This had caused Kurt to blush furiously and Blaine to hide his face, but in the end, they’d agreed that, with a few rules in place, they’d like to live together.

They’d taken the next week off of school to rest and recuperate. Both the boys needed it, mentally, emotionally, and physically. They had taken that time to work on some of Blaine’s overdue assignments, go back to his house and collect the rest of his things, and for Burt to get his bike back from the Anderson garage. They had also spent their time getting ready for the musical. They’d practiced their lines and their musical numbers over and over again until they could practically recite everything in their sleep.

Now, it was Sunday evening, seven days after the incident, and the boys were lying in bed, trying to fall asleep. 

“Hey, Kurt?” Blaine asked, rolling over onto his hip so he could see his soulmate’s face in the dim light. 

“Mmm?” Kurt mumbled, rolling to his back.

“Did you ever think this would happen? Did you ever think you’d be living with your soulmate before your high school graduation?” 

“No. I didn’t,” Kurt answered truthfully. “But I also never imagined that my soulmate would be you.”

“Are… Are you glad it’s me?” Blaine finally asked. “You’re, I mean, are you disappointed?”

“No!” Kurt moved again until he was facing Blaine. “I could  _ never  _ be disappointed that you’re my soulmate. Not ever! I’m so glad I have you, Blaine. I love you, and I need you with me always. You’re exactly what I need.” Kurt sent as many waves of love as he could through their soulbond, hoping he could really drive the point home.

“Thanks,” Blaine whispered into the dark. “I’m really glad I have you, too, Kurt. And, I’m-I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wrote you off before I ever even got to know you.”

Kurt didn’t reply to that. Instead, he reached up, placing a hand on the back of Blaine’s head and pulling him in for a deep kiss, full of forgiveness. When they finally pulled back, they were both breathless, and they smiled at one another in the soft light.

Blaine lay back down, cuddling up to Kurt and putting his head on his chest. “What if the kids at school pick on me?” he asked quietly after a long pause. “I’m sure Puckerman spent all last week telling everyone about me being gay. I’m sure I won’t be the number one badass anymore.”

“If that happens, we’ll handle it together,” Kurt answered, running his fingers through Blaine’s messy curls. He’d been delighted when the other boy had shown him his hair without an entire bottle of product in it, and he’d convinced Blaine that he should wear it naturally when they were at home. “We’re soulmates, and you’re my boyfriend. I’ll recruit the other Cheerios to kick the ass of anyone who dares to make fun of you.”

Unable to hold back a chuckle at that, Blaine leaned up, catching Kurt’s cheek with a soft kiss. “You’re amazing,” he whispered. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Kurt could feel his face heating up, and he didn’t reply to that. Instead, he said, “Go to sleep, Blaine. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

Scooting closer and squirming a bit to get comfortable, the shorter boy finally settled in, yawning widely as a wave of sleepiness hit him. “Yes, sir,” he mumbled as his eyes drifted shut. “Good night.”

“Good night,” Kurt whispered into the dark room. “Good night.”


	13. Chapter 13

Two weeks after the boys went back to school (where, despite Puckerman’s insistence that Blaine was gay, no one tried to mess with him out of fear. Or compassion. The boys honestly weren’t sure.), they woke up on that Monday morning with one phrase scrolling through their minds: tech week for Glee Club. Blaine was...nervous. He’d never had the lead role in anything before, and there were several people counting on him to know his part inside and out. On top of all that, he had two major tests coming up that week. Kurt had been able to convince a few of his teachers to let him retake tests he’d missed or completely flunked that semester, and, of course, they’d scheduled them for tech week. Not only that, but he’d been informed that if he didn’t pass these tests, he wouldn’t pass these classes. And, if he didn’t pass these classes, he didn’t graduate. Additionally, Kurt had put his foot down over the weekend about Blaine’s smoking habits with both legal and illegal drugs, and Blaine had agreed that he’d quit. Cold turkey. So, needless to say, he was stressed, and being stressed made him grumpy. 

Kurt, on this particular morning, despite being a little bit stressed about tech week himself, had been in a great mood when he woke up. Blaine had spent the entire night snuggled up tightly against him, and Kurt loved that. And, they’d had a great weekend together. After the conversation about Blaine cutting smoking out of his life, they’d spent their time introducing one another to movies that they loved. There were a few that they didn’t finish because Blaine had forgotten that bits and pieces of certain movies reminded him of his late grandfather, but for the most part, they’d been able to enjoy time spent snuggled on the couch eating way too much popcorn, drinking soda, and laughing or crying together. In fact, Kurt had admitted as they’d fall asleep the night before that he’d never felt closer to Blaine than he had that weekend watching movies together. It had been incredibly intimate. One look at Blaine’s face that morning, however, told Kurt that he was going to have a terrible day. It should have told him he was going to have a horrible week, however.

“Breakfast is ready, boys!” Elizabeth sang when they came clomping down the stairs. 

“Not hungry,” Blaine muttered, making a beeline for the front door where his shoes and backpack were.

“Blaine, you need to eat,” Kurt said. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and we’ve got a big week ahead of us.”

“You’re not my frickin’ mom, Kurt,” Blaine called back. “I’m not hungry.”

By this time already, Kurt was tired of Blaine’s bad attitude. He’d done plenty of sighing and huffing while they were upstairs as Kurt got dressed, did his hair, and a quick skincare routine. He’d asked Blaine to wait to go downstairs until he was ready, and his soulmate had sat on the bed the entire time looking like he was dying as he waited for Kurt to be ready. “Blaine,” he ground out, walking pointedly to the other boy in the foyer, “come eat something.”

Blaine shivered. They’d never talked about the direct orders Kurt was fond of giving, and up until that moment, Blaine hadn’t minded them. In fact, he’d sort of enjoyed them. Right then, though, all it did was make him angry. There was a part of him that wanted to obey the order, but the desire was less than his irritation. He was sure Kurt could feel everything, but he didn’t care. Rising to his feet with his riding boots haphazardly shoved onto his feet, he spat, “No.”

“Kurtie, you can’t make him eat anything,” Elizabeth said from the doorway where she’d been watching the short exchange. Even though Blaine was Kurt’s soulmate, she didn’t entirely trust him not to punch him or something. He’d grown up with it as an acceptable form of expressing himself, and she didn’t want any accidents to happen.

“Yeah, Kurtie,” Blaine mocked, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and reaching for the door handle.

Kurt’s face immediately fell. “Aren’t you going to at least let me drive you to school?” he asked, unable to keep the disappointment off his face.

Shaking his head despite the guilty feeling bubbling up in his gut and through their soulbond, Blaine said, “No. I need to walk, clear my head.”

“‘Kay.” Kurt’s voice was quiet and tiny, but he didn’t argue. He simply stood back, making room for Blaine to slide out the door.

“Is he okay?” Elizabeth asked when the door was shut behind him.

“I’m not sure,” Kurt admitted softly. “I think he’s stressed, but he hasn’t talked to me about it.”

“Maybe just give him a little bit of space?” Elizabeth suggested. “If he’s anything like your father, he’ll work it out of his system and apologize to you in a little while.”

Kurt nodded even though he wasn’t sure his mother was right. “How do you handle it?” he asked as they walked back into the kitchen together. “All I want to do is help him, but he won’t talk to me so I can try.”

“Sometimes it’s going to make your feel like pulling your hair out,” Elizabeth admitted, sliding a plate with a slice of toast, two hard-boiled eggs, and a few pieces of bacon on it in front of her son. “You just have to remember that however frustrating it is for you, Blaine has it three times worse. Your father described it to me once,” she mused, pulling her mug of tea over. “He said it feels like a tornado inside his brain. Everything that he needs to do starts swirling around like a massive black cloud, and he feels like he could suffocate at times.”

“Sounds like anxiety to me,” Kurt mumbled, feeling very bad about getting in Blaine’s face. There was some fear and anger running through their soulbond, he realized, and he really wanted to go and find Blaine and pull him into a huge hug, apologizing profusely for being so insensitive. But like his mom had said, Blaine needed space. So, instead, he focused on sending Blaine calming sensations and love as he ate his breakfast and chatted absently with Elizabeth about his plans for the day.

As he grabbed his backpack to head out the door, she said, “Take it easy on him today, Kurt. All week, probably. Just let him know that you’re there for him however he needs you.”

Kurt smiled, pulling his mother into a hug. “I will. Thanks, Mom.”

“Have a great day at school, Kurtie,” she replied, squeezing him back. “Tell Blaine for me, too.”

“I will.” Kurt didn’t see Blaine until third period when they had English together. “Are you feeling better?” he whispered to his soulmate as he slid into his seat next to him.

Blaine shrugged. “Maybe,” he answered.

“Can I help?”

Another shrug. “Maybe.”

Kurt felt his irritation bristle at that answer just a little. He did his best to tamp it down before Blaine would notice it in their soulbond. “Just let me know,” he said, straightening up just as the teacher came in to begin their lesson. 

He tried again that night to get Blaine to talk to him. He knew that his soulmate was stressed. He knew that he was worried. What he didn’t know, without Blaine cluing him in, at least a little, was how to help. So, when he asked him again after dinner was over and they were in their room, preparing to work on homework, he couldn’t help the spark of anger that shot through their soulbond at Blaine’s shrug. Again. “It’s impossible to help you if you won’t talk to me, you know,” he said, his voice gruff.

“It’s impossible to not talk to you,” Blaine responded in a huff, glaring at Kurt’s bent form on the other side of the room. “Haven’t you figured out yet that I’ll talk to you when I’m ready?”

“No! I haven’t been able to figure anything out about you because you never talk to me! About anything!” That was not fair and certainly not true, but Kurt didn’t care.

“Yes. Yelling at me is going to make me want to talk to you,” Blaine said, chuckling dryly. “I have a lot of homework to do, so why don’t you just leave me alone?”

“Fine!”

“Fine.”

The rest of the week was just as tense as Monday. The boys hardly spoke to one another unless they had to, and Kurt was beginning to wonder if he and his parents had done the right thing by taking Blaine in to live with them. He knew, obviously, that Blaine couldn’t have stayed with his father. Living with an angry soulmate was far easier than living without one for the rest of his life, but maybe there had been a solution that they’d overlooked. Maybe they should have helped Blaine to find his own place. Maybe Kurt was smothering him. Doubt, worry, fear, anger, and sadness kept up a continual, pounding beat through their soulbond all week, adding to the stress of tech week rehearsals in preparation for their first show on Friday night.

Blaine was having his own thoughts about smothering. Not that Kurt was smothering him, but that he was dimming Kurt’s light with his anger and inability to share his thoughts and feelings. He was thankful that Kurt had saved him, but he’d done a terrible job of proving it. If anything, he’d spent a lot of time pushing Kurt away, afraid that what they had wasn’t going to last. It was easier if he didn’t get too attached to the notion of someone loving him forever. So, when his mind wasn’t swimming with numbers and equations for the math test he had coming up or parts of speech and punctuation rules for his English test, it was staging a full out war on himself, yelling at him to tell Kurt about his issues while his heart continued to warn him that opening himself up was a bad idea.

Things progressed in an incredibly confusing and frustrating way that entire week. Kurt and Blaine wouldn’t spend much time talking, but when they would get into bed at night, after a few minutes of distance, Blaine would snuggle close to Kurt, burying his head into his soulmate’s chest. Kurt was sure that he heard Blaine sniffling at times, and he wanted so badly to ask him what was wrong. He knew that Blaine could feel his heartache and sadness through their soulbond. No matter what, though, whenever he asked, Blaine would tense up, move away, and refuse to speak. So, Kurt would take what he could get, wondering if, after this week from hell was over, if he would have lost his soulmate completely. 

On Thursday, Kurt came home from Glee rehearsal alone. Mr. Schue had asked Blaine and Quinn to stay, needing them to run through a few parts before opening night the next day. So, Kurt had plenty of time to think. Blaine’s tests were over, and he was hopeful that after practice, he would feel better, less nervous, and more willing to open up. Kurt was so lost in thought as he slipped off his shoes and backpack at the front door that he didn’t notice his mother, standing in front of him, holding out an envelope toward him until he’d almost run directly into her. “Oh!” he said, surprised, taking a large step backward. “I-I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t see you.”

“I know,” she smiled, trying to hand him the envelope again. “You’ve been acting funny all week. Wanna tell me what’s up?”

“Just...Blaine. He’s acting weird, and I want to help, but…” He caught sight of the envelope she was handing him, and his eyes went wide. “I-is that m-my letter? My acceptance letter?” His breath caught in his throat as he looked down at the white envelope, marked with the school symbol for University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

“I hope so,” Elizabeth replied softly, smiling. “It came a few days ago, but I wanted to wait until you had a moment alone to open it.” She winced at her son’s surprised face. “Sorry. Should I not have waited?”

Kurt shrugged. He’d been dreaming about opening this letter with Blaine, but now didn’t seem like the right time. “It’s fine,” he soothed, taking the envelope with trembling hands. “I, uh, I wanted to open it with him, but he’s… I don’t think he’d be very supportive right now…”

“He’ll come around,” his mother assured him, taking a step forward to wrap an arm around her son. “Why don’t you come to the kitchen table? I’ll get you a glass of lemonade, and we can open it together?”

Nodding, Kurt followed his mother, not sure how he was still breathing. He’d been waiting for this letter, just hoping for good news that would get him out of this town. He’d applied to other places, too, local colleges mostly and an arts school in Manhattan that was a long shot, but he was hopeful that UArts was going to be his way out of Lima. He’d chosen the school carefully. There were plenty of other campuses nearby for Blaine, both traditional schools and trade schools. It was an easy, one day drive or quick flight back home if he needed his parents. Philadelphia wasn’t too far from New York, and it was still big city living, something he’d been dreaming of forever. Overall, it would be perfect for himself and his soulmate, but his entire life hung on a few words printed on the letter in his hand. The envelope felt like it weighed a million pounds as he carefully carried it to the table, letting it land with a soft plop on the table in front of him.

“Oh, Kurtie… You’re shaking,” Elizabeth said, laying a gentle hand on his arm as she set his glass of lemonade in front of him. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait for Blaine? Maybe he--”

“I think I need to do this now,” Kurt whispered, his throat feeling thick. “If I don’t know what it says soon, I think I’m going to explode.” He paused, just staring at the envelope. Then, he said, “I’m scared. Maybe we should wait…”

“Would you like me to do it?” Elizabeth asked. “I can read it then tell you what it says.”

“Would you?” Kurt asked, finally meeting his mother’s gaze.

“Of course, darling. Here.” She scooted his glass closer. “You drink this. I’ll open this.” She tugged the envelope toward herself, taking a deep breath as she slowly slid her thumb beneath the glued flap. The ripping sound seemed loud in the silent room, but Elizabeth forced herself to keep going, sliding the letter out of the envelope with only lightly shaking hands. She let her eyes skim the whole letter, forcing her gaze to remain expressionless as she read to the end. Then, she turned to her son, her lips breaking into a wide smile and her eyes sparkling as she took his hand. “You made it. You got in.”

Kurt’s eyes went wide again, and he just stared at Elizabeth for a few moments. “I got in?” he breathed finally. “You-you’re sure? I got in?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you, sweetie,” Elizabeth reassured him, patting him on the arm. She gave him a moment to process the news before asking, “How do you feel?”

“A-amazing! Excited! A little...shocked, I guess. I mean, I always hoped but…” He stopped, closed his eyes, and took in a deep breath. “Mom,” he said, opening his eyes again and clapping lightly, “Mom, I’m getting out of here! I’m leaving Lima!”

Elizabeth was about to tell her son how proud of him she was when there was a loud noise from behind them. Her eyes flashed up to see Blaine’s backpack on the floor beside his feet. He was looking at Kurt with what could only be described as a hurt expression, tears already pooling in his eyes. Elizabeth was immediately torn between going to him or protecting Kurt. Blaine was hurting, and Kurt was inevitably about to be hurt by Blaine’s reaction. She realized in that moment that there was nothing she could do about it. They were soulmates, and she needed to let them work it out.

“How great for you,” Blaine spat as soon as Kurt had turned around. “You get to leave, go live your dream. And, where does that leave me?”

“Blaine!” Kurt was up and out of his seat like a rocket, crossing the room to grab onto his soulmate’s hands. “Of course you would come with me! Of course! I would never leave you here!”

“Ha! Right. Everyone leaves. Why would you be any different?” He couldn’t meet Kurt’s gaze, and he focused on a spot on the floor, sucking back the tears that were threatening to roll down his face.

“Because I’m your soulmate. Because I love you. Because we’re meant to be together, and I would never do something to rip us apart. Because. I. Love. You.” He whispered the last four words, putting emphasis on each one with a squeeze to Blaine’s hands.

The air caught in Blaine’s throat, and he realized he wasn’t going to be able to hold back the tears anymore. So, he let them slip down his face as he pulled his hands from Kurt’s grasp, reaching blindly for his backpack as his tears burred his vision.

“Blaine, wait. Please, don’t walk away…” Kurt pleaded, worried that his soulmate, on top of all the other stress that he was facing that week, had been pushed too far by the news that Kurt had been accepted into an out-of-state college.

“I-I just need some time...to think…” Blaine sniffled, heading for the stairs and the safety of their bedroom.

Kurt watched him go, a few tears slipping down his own face. Once he’d heard the bedroom door slam shut, he turned a sad expression toward his mother. “I should have waited,” he whispered.

“Oh, my poor baby,” Elizabeth whispered, pulling Kurt into a tight hug. “I know it seems hard,” she muttered into his hair, “but it’s going to be okay.”

“How do you know?” Kurt whispered into her shirt. “How can you be sure?”

“The two of you are soulmates, sweetheart. You know one another better than you think. You can pull through this.”

“I thought it would be easy,” Kurt pouted, sniffling as he spoke. “When they told us all about soulmates back in middle school, I thought it would be easy. I thought you’d meet your soulmate, fall madly in love, and live happily ever after. Like a fairytale…”

Elizabeth couldn’t hold back a snort at that. “How boring would that be?” she asked, running a hand through his hair.”

“What?”

“If everyone’s love story was the same, soulmates meet, fall in love, live happily ever after, wouldn’t that be the most boring thing in the world? No one would have a love story to share because everyone would already know it.” She sighed, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. “I know you don’t want to hear this, honey, but you’re special. Blaine’s special, and you’re love story is going to be special, too.”

“Don’t want it to be this type of special,” he muttered.

“I know. It stinks. Just remember, you love one another, and Fate has put you in each other’s paths for a reason. Just because things seem tough now doesn’t mean they will be forever.”

“How do I fix this?” Kurt finally asked, pulling back to pick up the letter he hadn’t even read yet. “How do I convince him that I’m not going to leave him?”

“Tell him,” Elizabeth said quietly. “It might seem like he’s not listening, but he will hear you. Send your love to him through your soulbond. Be there for him. Give him space if he needs it. He loves you, too, Kurt, in his own way. He’ll come to you when he’s ready.”

“You and Dad never have problems like this,” Kurt lamented as he slammed back the last of his lemonade. He was preparing to go upstairs both to do his homework and talk to Blaine, and he needed a drink, nevermind that the lemonade was non-alcoholic and he was only eighteen.

“Oh, honey,” Elizabeth sighed. “You weren’t around for the early days. We had plenty of problems.”

“You did?”

“Uh-huh. I’m not going to tell you about them because that won’t help you. Your relationship isn’t so special that you’re the only one to have problems. Sorry, sweetie.” 

That made Kurt giggle. “You’re right,” he admitted. 

“Of course I am. Now, go upstairs and talk to Blaine. Do your homework. I’ll have dinner ready in about an hour.”

“Thanks, Mom. I love you,” Kurt replied, pulling his mother into a tight hug.

She answered him with a gentle kiss to his cheek. “You’re welcome, sweetheart. I love you, too.”

With that, Kurt grabbed his backpack and his letter and headed up the stairs, his legs feeling more and more like lead with every step he took. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk to Blaine. After almost a week of the two of them not being on the best of terms, he was more than ready to remedy the situation. But something told him that it wasn’t going to be that easy. There was some jealousy joined in with the anger, sadness, and fear that had been present in their soulbond all week, and Kurt wasn’t sure they were going to be able to heal all of that in one afternoon. But, he was going to do his best.

Pushing open the door to their room, he stepped inside, letting it shut behind him with a soft click. Blaine was seated at the desk in their room, papers spread out in front of him. Kurt could tell that he wasn’t really studying though. His head was in his hands, and his shoulders were shaking ever so slightly. Dropping his backpack onto his side of the bed, he approached Blaine, placing a gentle hand on his back. “You okay?” he whispered into the deafening silence.

Blaine didn’t say anything. Instead, he turned toward Kurt, burying his face into his stomach and crying his eyes out.

Kurt couldn’t do anything but hold him, petting a hand through his hair and down his back in a slow, repetitive track, feeling lost and confused by what was going on with his soulmate. He may have shed a tear or two himself.

The boys didn’t speak about their problems that night. Blaine was quiet, sticking to Kurt’s side and giving non-verbal responses to questions. He leaned into Kurt’s touch each time the other boy placed a hand on him, and Kurt felt, despite their lack of communication, that they were maybe getting somewhere. It wasn’t as good as talking, but Blaine was still speaking to him with his actions and the emotions in their soulbond. They didn’t feel as separate as they had most of the week, and each time Blaine looked at him, Kurt could read the love and thankfulness in his gaze without needing the words.

The next morning, Blaine was gone before Kurt got out of the shower. He wasn’t waiting at the breakfast table or the car for him, either. “Have you seen Blaine?” Kurt asked his parents when he came down to grab a granola bar and a travel mug of coffee, spruced up, of course. It was no grande non-fat mocha, but it would do for an opening night pick-me-up.

“He came through and got coffee and a banana about thirty minutes ago,” Burt said over the top of the newspaper he was reading. “He said he needed to practice for the play, and he had to study for a test.”

“He was going to walk?” Kurt asked, disappointed. He’d been hoping to hold hands with Blaine on the drive to school. It still wasn’t talking, but it would help him stay grounded throughout the rest of the day.

Burt nodded, not missing the disappointment on his son’s face. “Think so, kid. Sorry.” Then, Burt looked at his wife, gesturing lightly toward Kurt. They had something to ask him, but Burt did  _ not  _ want to be the one to do it. He’d lose all credibility with his kid if he was the one to bring this up.

“It’s okay,” Kurt answered. “I’ll take him an extra granola bar, try to catch up with him before first period.” He smiled at his parents half-heartedly, turning to walk toward the front door.

“Kurtie, can I ask you something,” Elizabeth said quickly, shooting Burt a quick glare before smiling at her son who’d turned to look at her over her shoulder.

“Um, yeah,” he answered, walking slowly back toward the table. “Should I...should I sit down? Is it bad? Has Grandma died or something?” His parents’ expressions were unreadable, and he was growing more and more concerned by the moment.

“No, sweetie. It’s nothing bad,” Elizabeth reassured him quickly. “Your father and I just wanted to ask if, after the musical tonight, if you and Blaine might like...some alone time.”

Kurt blinked slowly at his parents, trying to understand what they meant. “Like, you’ll leave us alone in our room?” he asked, his brow wrinkling in confusion.

“Um, no. Your father and I would go somewhere else for the night, get a hotel in Westerville or something.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Well, you and Blaine have been having a difficult week. We thought you might need some space to sort things out, and Blaine’s more comfortable when we’re not here.”

“Y-you don’t have to do that,” Kurt stuttered. “I mean, I know you were looking forward to taking us out for ice cream to celebrate opening night.”

“We thought maybe we could do that to celebrate a successful three-show run instead,” Elizabeth said, eyeing Burt. If Kurt was actually going to believe that this was okay, he needed to chime in.

“Bu--”

“Look, kid,” Burt said with an exasperated sigh. “We get that this situation with Blaine isn’t exactly...normal. Most seventeen and eighteen-year-old kids don’t meet their soulmate and then have that person move in with them and their parents. We’re just trying to make things easier for you. We’re not trying to trick you.”

“Um, thanks then, I guess,” Kurt mumbled, still not sure what he was supposed to think about this plan. It would be nice to have some time alone with Blaine to work things out, but they hadn’t  _ truly  _ been alone together ever since they’d discovered they were soulmates. It would be...weird, and he wasn’t sure how they would fill their time, especially if Blaine was still refusing to talk.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” Elizabeth said, closing the distance between them to press a gentle kiss to her son’s forehead. “Have a good day at school. Break a leg tonight, and we’ll see you in the receiving line before we leave for the night. Blaine, too. Tell him for us?”

“I will,” Kurt reassured her, hugging her quickly. “Thanks. Bye, Mom, Dad.” Then, he was off, backpack slung over his arm and combat boots pounding against the floor as he scurried out the door and to the Navigator. He was feeling confident and hopeful for the day as well as a little bit nervous. This was the first time he’d had a major part in any school production, and the pressure to remember all his lines and his songs, as well as pretend to be interested in Santana a few times, was mounting with every passing moment. But he was going to get to spend an evening alone with Blaine, and maybe they would finally be able to reach a place of understanding and support; he could have faith in that, right? 

Unfortunately, Kurt’s confidence and hope began to dwindle as the day progressed. He wasn’t able to find Blaine before school started, and when he did finally meet up with him in class, they had almost no time to speak with one another. It wasn’t until after school that Kurt was finally able to stop Blaine in his rush to get himself ready for the curtain in a few hours. “Hey,” he said, grabbing a hold of Blaine’s leather-clad arm on one of his mad dashes past him. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Uh, yeah. Sure,” Blaine replied, stopping and turning toward his soulmate. He didn’t say anything else, and he wouldn’t meet Kurt’s gaze, either.

“First, I wanted to make sure you’re doing okay. You’re running around back here like crazy. You’re not even stopping to breathe.”

“I’m fine,” Blaine answered with a shrug, not really sounding fine.

Kurt didn’t raise an argument. “Good,” he said. “Just know you can come talk to me or sit down for a few minutes before curtain. I know your first show can be nerve-wracking, but you’ll be wonderful; I know it.”

“Thanks.” He offered Kurt a half-smile, immediately dropping his gaze back to his toes. “Anything else?”

“Did you get your tests back?” Kurt asked. “I haven’t heard how you did this week.”

“Oh, yeah. I, uh, I passed. Both of them.”

“That’s great! Oh, Blaine, I’m so proud of you!” Kurt cheered, pulling him into a tight, celebratory squeeze.

“Uh, thanks,” Blaine replied, hugging back for half a second. “Anything else?”

“We should celebrate you tonight. Mom and Dad, they’re, uh,” he paused, clearing his throat, “they’re going to get a hotel room in Westerville tonight so we can have the house to ourselves.” Kurt glanced shyly at his soulmate. “They thought we could take some time to talk.”

“About what?”

“This week. You know we’ve not been our normal selves. You’ve been distracted and sad, and I’ve been, well...and, last night. What you--”

Blaine didn’t stick around to hear more. Instead, he took off in the direction he’d been headed before Kurt stopped him, not pausing or looking back even as Kurt called after him.

“You guys okay?” Brittany asked from somewhere behind Kurt.

He spun, looking suddenly in her direction, wiping madly at his eyes to keep the tears that were building there from falling down his cheeks. He knew he couldn’t speak without giving himself away, so he settled for nodding vigorously, hoping she’d drop the subject.

She didn’t. “I think...Blaine’s just a unicorn who’s lost his horn. All fabulous unicorns lose their horns sometimes. It’s just part of their lifecycle, like mommy unicorns pooping out baby unicorns instead of rainbows and glitter sometimes. Blaine’s like that.”

Kurt laughed wetly, not sure what to make of his sometimes kooky friend. “Thanks, Brit,” he managed. “I-I’ll keep that in mind.”

The blonde nodded, happy with his answer, and bounced away, calling loudly for Santana.

Despite his best efforts, Kurt wasn’t able to catch Blaine again until about 10 minutes before the opening curtain. They’d just finished their show circle, and he grabbed his soulmate’s arm before he could take off in the opposite direction. Blaine spun to look at him, and Kurt immediately begged, “Please can I talk to you? There’s something I really need to say.”

“Fine.” Blaine sighed heavily, following the taller boy as he pulled him off to the side of the room. “What?”

“I don’t like how things are between us, Blaine,” Kurt began, still holding on to his soulmate’s hand tightly. “We-we aren’t communicating, we’re just upset, and you’re sending a lot of emotions through the soulbond that I want to help you with. You just won’t let me.” He was trying his best not to sound like he was accusing Blaine of anything, but he was failing miserably.

“Why should you care?” Blaine asked, his words short and clipped. “It’s not like you’re hanging around here anyway.”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“You said it yourself last night; you’re getting out of here.”

“I also said that I was going to wait for you! I meant it, Blaine. I love you, and I would ne--”

“Five minutes to curtain!” a band kid said, interrupting them. “Blaine, Mr. Schue wants--”

“Fuck off,” Blaine replied, flipping the kid the bird. When he didn’t move, Blaine took a step toward him, first raised. “I said to fuck. Off,” he repeated.

“But, M-Mr. Schue--”

“Get the hell out of here!” Blaine yelled, right in the kid’s face. 

That sent him scurrying away, looking back over his shoulder, terrified that Blaine would be chasing him, ready to beat him up.

Turning back to his soulmate, Blaine said, “You’re getting out of here. You’re going to be something. I’m nothing.” There was no emotion to his words, no cracking in his voice. It was as if he’d accepted them completely and was now listing them as a boring set of facts that everyone should know.

“That’s just not true! I know you can be anything you want! Look how amazing you did this week with your tests and getting ready for tonight. You’re--”

“Everybody leaves, Kurt. Even you. I was just stupid for believing that my soulmate, of all people, would be the one to stick around. I guess I must have done something in a past life or something to deserve this.”

“Blaine, that’s not true! I’m not leaving. You mean everything to me. Our relationship means everything to me. I lo--”

“Three minutes to curtain! Places!” This time, the kid was smart enough to yell it from across the room, not wanting to risk getting punched.

For a moment, Blaine bit the insides of his cheeks. Then, he said in a monotone voice as pain, regret, anger, and sadness swept through their soulbond like a hurricane, “Well, I thought this relationship would mean something to me, too. But it doesn’t. It can’t. At least not anymore.” At that, he turned away, walking away swiftly to take his place for the curtain.

Kurt felt as though someone had just punched him directly in the heart. It was hard to breathe, there were tears misting his eyesight, the emotions coming from their soulbond as well as the ones he was sending through it were overwhelming, and all he wanted to do was collapse into a ball on the floor and bawl until there were no more tears left to cry. His soulmate had as good as said he didn’t love him and they had no future together. That was it. Their life was over.

There was no time to process this new information though, and a part of Kurt insisted that he not accept it until he’d had time to at least try to prove to Blaine that he didn’t want them to end. Kurt wasn’t sure if it was Fate or his own sense of survival trying to kick in, but as quickly as the feeling of breaking down flowed through him, it was replaced by a surge of hope. Besides, he probably had about thirty seconds to get to his spot backstage before the curtain opened. So, he wiped the tears from his face as carefully as he could, not wanting to smudge his makeup, then ran to take his place. He was going to fix this. He could fix this. He had to.

The first few scenes that the boys shared together were...awkward. They said their lines and moved through the motions that Mr. Schue had blocked out for them. The normal chemistry that they had together, however, seemed to be missing, and Kurt could tell that this fact was bothering them both. Their soulbond was a mess of emotions, trending back and forth between fear and that melancholy feeling that comes with heartache. 

After their third scene together, Kurt sat backstage and focused on sending Blaine calming vibes. He knew that his soulmate knew his part like the back of his hand. He knew he was a natural performer, a gifted singer, and a crowd charmer if he wanted to be. If nothing else went right tonight, Kurt wanted Blaine’s performance to be perfect. It would give him something to be proud of, an opportunity that rarely afforded itself to the curly-haired boy.

Blaine could feel the change immediately. He’d been having a hard time focusing since his blowup at Kurt. What he’d said had been far from the truth. He  _ did  _ care about their relationship. Hell, if he was being honest, it was the most important thing in his life. But he also had to be honest that he was scared shitless that Kurt was going to go to college, leave him behind, meet someone better, and decide that soulmate status wasn’t nearly as important as happiness. Everyone in Blaine’s life, in some fashion or another, had run out on him. What was going to stop Kurt from doing the same thing. When his soulmate began to send him calming vibes, though, rising above Blaine’s abuses toward him to give his soulmate what he so desperately needed, Blaine felt something else shift inside of him, too. The part of his brain that had been yelling at him ever since finding out about Kurt’s college acceptance the night before shut off. It stopped telling him to run away, to push Kurt aside and fend for himself. Instead, a new voice was born, a voice that told him their relationship was worth saving, a voice that repeated over and over again, “Kurt loves you.” It was enough to calm his mind and keep him focused on the task at hand: performing the musical. Kurt loved him, and he could fix everything that had happened after the curtain had closed. A little part of him told him to prove it to Kurt, and he hatched a plan right there on stage.

Kurt was glad that he got to watch  _ You’re the One That I Want  _ from backstage. He loved watching Blaine take off his oversized letterman’s sweater to chase after Quinn in her leather bodysuit. Typically, he’d stand and watch all the funny faces Blaine made as he was supposed to be staring at Quinn’s ass as she climbed up the stairs of the “funhouse,” trying but failing valiantly. Tonight, though, tonight, he saw something different. Tonight, Blaine caught Kurt’s eye behind the curtain and was singing the song to him. 

“ _ You're the one that I want _ _   
_ _ Oo-oo-oo, honey _ _   
_ _ The one that I want _ _   
_ _ Oo-oo-oo, honey _ _   
_ _ The one that I want _ _   
_ _ Oo-oo-oo, the one I need _ _   
_ __ Oh, yes, indeed ”

There was something different coming through their soulbond now, too. It felt almost...apologetic. Kurt couldn’t quite put a name to what he was feeling, but it was something soft and loving; it brought an instant smile to his face. He watched his soulmate carefully as he danced across the stage, doing his best to look like he was in love with Quinn while casting long gazes at his soulmate. He was so entranced that he almost missed his cue.

“You guys! Rizzo and Kenickie made up!” Tina as Frenchie shouted to the rest of the group.

It took Santana pulling on his hand to get him to run on stage and stop by a tent pole, pretending to kiss her from behind a scarf that Mr. Schue had thankfully allowed Santana to use. There was no way Kurt was going to kiss a girl. No. Way.

Despite being stuck behind a scarf, Kurt didn’t miss the gaze that Blaine shot his way as he and Quinn congratulated them on “getting back together.” 

“Maybe we’ll never see each other again,” Rachel as Jan crowed.

“Nah. That’ll never happen,” Blaine assured her. Then, they all joined hands as the music went on for a few more beats. They danced toward the front of the stage and dropped into a dramatic bow as the last note died away. The crowd went wild, applauding and cheering, most of them on their feet, giving the cast a standing ovation.

Even though Santana and Quinn were standing between them, Kurt was able to catch Blaine’s eye on their last bow, and Blaine gave him a warm smile. Kurt’s heart leaped a little bit in his chest, and his pulse quickened. He couldn’t wait to get his soulmate alone, now. They had some talking to do, but Kurt felt more confident than ever that their conversation was going to go well.

All the kids stood patiently in line as parent after parent and audience member after audience member came through the receiving line to shake their hands and congratulate them on a job well done. Kurt and Blaine both received tight hugs from Elizabeth and firm handshakes from Burt. 

“Now, remember that if you need us, we’ll just be in Westerville. You can call,” Elizabeth reminded them each in turn.

“Yes, ma’am. Thank you,” Blaine replied.

“Okay, Mom,” Kurt answered.

“You boys have fun tonight,” she told them with a bright smile as she and Burt headed out the doors.

Once the crowd had finally thinned out, Kurt snuck away to change out of his Kenickie costume and wipe off as much of his stage makeup as he could. When he glanced toward the spot Blaine had been occupying in line, he noticed that his soulmate was already gone. Hopefully, he was doing the same thing so they could meet up and chat. However, when Kurt finally found him about a half an hour later, Blaine was standing on the stage, mouthing the words to one of his songs and practicing a few of the corresponding choreography steps over and over again. “Aren’t you tired?” Kurt asked him as he walked out from backstage.

“I’m going over this move. I messed it up tonight, and I know I can do it better.”

Kurt chuckled. “That’s the beauty of the stage. We get to do it all over again another night. Personally, I thought you and Quinn were perfect.” He smiled warmly at his soulmate.

“Thank you,” Blaine said softly, stopping the dance. “You were great as Kenickie. Brought the house down.” He paused as if thinking about something. Then, he extended an arm, gesturing toward Kurt. “Come here. Give me your hand. Hold it to your heart.”

Tentatively, Kurt stepped closer, allowing Blaine to take his hand and place it over his quickly beating heart. He wanted to ask him if he was referencing a West Side Story song, but he didn’t think now was the right time for questions. Now was the time for listening.

Blaine sighed, trying to find the right words to say. “Kurt… You were right. I should have believed you when you said that you wouldn’t leave me. You’ve given me no reason not to trust you, and it was wrong of me to get angry and make assumptions. I’m sorry.” He looked deep into Kurt’s eyes, hoping that the other boy knew that he meant every word of what he’d said.

Kurt gazed back for just a moment before leaning in and pulling Blaine’s lips into a deep kiss. It was soft and warm, and the love that was pouring through their soulbond was evident in the kiss. Kurt was struck in that moment by just how much he and Blaine were truly meant to be. Their lips fit together perfectly, their mouths moving in sync as they both deepened the kiss just a little. He’d never noticed it before, but in that moment, it was perfect. Finally, they pulled back just a bit, and Kurt let his forehead rest heavily against Blaine’s as he breathed, “You take my breath away. Not just now, but tonight on that stage. I was so proud to be with you.”

With a soft, barely-there smile, Blaine whispered, “I hope so. I want you to be.”

“You should be proud of yourself, too, Blaine,” Kurt told him. “You were so wonderful tonight. You have a gift.”

Blaine didn’t know how to respond, so he just pulled Kurt in a little bit closer as he asked, “Should we go to Rachel’s after-party at Breadstix?”

“No. I want to go home.” Kurt arched an eyebrow at his soulmate, hoping he’d catch on to what he meant.

All Blaine could do was answer with one soft, airy word. “Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or the characters. I did borrow dialogue and ideas from canon, and I do not own those sections of this chapter.


	14. Chapter 14

The boys were barely in the front door before their hands were all over one another again. They’d been quiet in the car as Kurt drove them home. Kurt had had one hand resting on Blaine’s thigh, rubbing back and forth, teasing just a bit. Blaine had been handsy, too, running his fingertips along the back of Kurt’s neck, down his arm and over his chest, doing his best to distract his soulmate without distracting him  _ too _ much. Both of the boys knew they needed to talk; their problems were far from completely worked out. But the closeness and tenderness of their moment together on stage had sent new sensations through their soulbond: lust, need, desire, passion, and love. These feelings were overwhelming, and neither one of them could concentrate on anything else besides their imminent need for their soulmate. Talking could wait.

Once they were inside the house, Kurt dropped his duffel bag unceremoniously, turning a smoldering gaze on Blaine. The shorter boy was dressed in a long-sleeved, gray and white striped shirt with soft, gray pants that were rolled at the cuff to accommodate his short legs, and a pair of black boat shoes. Everything he was wearing was something Kurt had purchased for him after he'd moved in, once Kurt had discovered that all he owned was leather, ribbed tank tops, and more leather. Taking a moment to admire his choices, Kurt couldn't help but smile to himself. Blaine was compact and cute, and the clothes he wore did a great job of highlighting everything Kurt loved about him from his tiny waist to his broad shoulders to his slender ankles. The sight of him made Kurt's desire for his soulmate's lips even stronger. 

Blaine wasn't entirely sure what to do. Underneath his soulmate's gaze, he felt naked in a way, as if Kurt could see to his very soul, see how much he wanted him, how much he needed him. He wanted to cross the room, pull Kurt into his arms, and kiss him passionately. For some reason, however, he felt rooted to his spot, unable to do anything but stare into Kurt's hungry gaze. 

Thankfully, Kurt had no such issues. In three long strides, he was across the room, pressing his soulmate up against the front door and pushing his duffel bag off his shoulder in one swift motion. He lightly ground his pelvis against Blaine's, watching as the shorter boy's head tipped back and his eyes slid closed. A delicious moan fell out of his lips, and Kurt grinned, doing it again before covering Blaine's mouth with his own. 

They stayed there against the door, kissing and grinding against one another for several minutes. Their kisses were all tongues clashing, exploring the other’s mouth while lips were sucked between teeth to be nibbled at and bitten lightly. Kurt’s hands roamed through the back of Blaine’s hair, pulling curls loose from the hair gel while Blaine’s hands worked the back of Kurt’s white buttondown up his back, loving the feel of soft skin beneath his fingertips. Finally, they pulled away from each other slightly, breathless, and Kurt pressed his forehead against Blaine’s. “I think we should go upstairs and shower. After that, we can do whatever we want.” His voice was husky and deep, desire and lust creating a haze in the back of his throat.

Blaine’s eyes were wide as he nodded his head. He bit his bottom lip just a little. “Um, can we shower together?” he whispered.

Kurt grinned. “I’d really love that and was planning to ask, but you beat me to it.”

The boys took off up the stairs, Kurt leading the way down the hallway to the bathroom. He switched on the light, immediately turning on the shower before turning seductively toward Blaine. “Do you want to undress me?” he asked, his eyes sparkling. Noting a hint of fear or insecurity shining in Blaine’s eyes, he hurried to add, “It’s okay if you don’t want to. I just thou--”

The other boy cut him off, striding across the bathroom and pressing a finger over his lips. “I want to. It’s just...we never really talked about this. About...going all the way.” He wrapped his arms around Kurt’s waist, pillowing his head against his chest. They needed to talk, but he didn’t want to look at him while they did it.

“Don’t you want to?” Kurt asked, afraid he’d misread the situation. He wrapped his arms around his soulmate, pulling him into a tight hug.

Nodding, Blaine whispered, “Yes.”

“Then, I don--”

“It’s just--I’ve never...You’re...I’ve only slept with girls,” Blaine finally blurted out, his face turning bright red. “I never wanted to, but I slept with a few girls to impress Puckerman and the guys. We never really talked about that, and except for the few handjobs I’ve had from you, I’ve never...done anything with another guy.”

Kurt thought for a moment before he answered. “Well, does it bother you that I’ve had a few partners? Nothing serious and nothing penetrative, but... I did get a blowjob once.”

Blaine shook his head. “I like that you’ve had...experience,” he said softly.

“Well, this,” Kurt said, pushing the shoulder of Blaine’s shirt down to expose his soulmark, “this mark means more to me than any stupid girls you were with before me. This mark,” he went on, running a fingertip lightly over his name, making Blaine shiver, “means that we’re meant to be together forever, in every sense of the word. And, if you’re willing to learn with me, I’m willing to learn with you.”

“I want to.”

“Good.” Kurt leaned down, applying a gentle kiss to Blaine’s soulmark. “Then, let’s get in the shower.” Grabbing the bottom of Blaine's shirt, Kurt created a bit of space between them and slowly lifted it over his head, loving how the action pulled some more of his curls loose. It added to the overall doe-eyed innocence that his soulmate wore as he stood shirtless in front of him. Sure, they'd seen one another in various states of undress. It was nearly impossible not to, now that they lived together. It was just that this was different, special. "You're beautiful," Kurt whispered, running a featherlight fingertip down Blaine's chest and across his abs. "Absolutely gorgeous."

Blaine blushed brightly. Without another word, he reached for Kurt's shirt, tugging gently at the hem until the taller boy moved closer again. Then, he began to work the buttons of the vest that Kurt wore over the top of his white button-down. Really, the layers were quite unfair. The other unfair thing was that Kurt wasn’t exactly  _ helping  _ with his shirt removal. Not that he was fighting Blaine, of course. No, he was just far more interested in kissing along his soulmate’s jawbone, down his neck, and across his shoulder to his soulmark than he was in getting his vest and button-down off. Eventually, Blaine had to push gently at Kurt’s shoulders, nudging him backward just a bit. “Let me get you out of your shirt,” he whispered. “Please.”

Kurt pecked him on the lips. “Of course.”

Finally, finally, Blaine managed to undo both sets of buttons and push the shirt back over Kurt’s shoulders, sending the garments fluttering lightly to the ground. Then, he stood back to admire Kurt’s pale skin, shining in the artificial light of the bathroom. The shower, which had been running for far longer than it should without anyone in it, was steaming up the bathroom, and the gentle fog wrapped itself around Kurt’s naked torso, adding to the beauty and magic of him. Blaine swallowed hard, all the praises he wanted to give his soulmate stuck in his throat, unable to come out; he was sure that Kurt could feel what he was unable to say.

His soulmate didn’t seem to notice his inability to speak. Instead, Kurt reached out a hand, brushing lightly against the waistband of Blaine’s pants. “May I?”

With another gulp, Blaine nodded, his breath coming out harsh and ragged as Kurt gripped his waistband and slipped his pants and boxers down at the same time. The feel of the fabric dragging down his body added to the intensity of the moment, and he felt himself hardening even more as Kurt got them to the floor, his face mere inches from Blaine’s quivering erection.

Kurt didn’t say anything about it though. He smiled at Blaine, straightening up, then waited for the other boy to reach for his own belt and jeans. When Blaine made no move, he nodded encouragingly. “It’s okay. If you want to do it, you can. If not, I will. But,” he paused, jerking his head back toward the shower that was absolutely gushing steam, “we should get in there soon, or we’re going to run out of hot water.”

That got Blaine moving. He quickly stepped out of his own pants, leaving them in a pool on the ground. Then, he fumbled with Kurt’s belt, finally getting it loose. He could feel his hands trembling as he reached for the button of Kurt’s jeans. He couldn’t figure out why he was so nervous. This was Kurt. This was his soulmate, the man whom he loved. He was just now learning that he probably loved him a great deal more than he’d realized, but he loved him all the same. They were going to spend the rest of their lives together. Hell, they were probably going to get married someday. Why, then, was he so incredibly nervous to do something as simple as undoing his soulmate’s pants?

Feeling his nervousness through their soulbond, Kurt layed a gentle hand on his shoulder, rubbing small, soft circles over his soulmark. “You’re fine. I’m not judging you. Take a deep breath,” he prompted, keeping up the pitter-patter in a voice barely louder than a whisper. The more he spoke, the more at ease Blaine seemed to be, and soon, he felt warm sparks against his flesh as Blaine hooked his thumbs into Kurt’s waistband and pushed his pants and underwear to his ankles. Kurt stepped out, leaving his clothes spread all over the floor, a habit he usually disliked. However, right now, he didn’t care. Sweeping a hand toward the shower in a grand gesture, he said, “After you,” following his soulmate into the steamy confines of the hot shower.

Blaine stood still under the stream for several long moments, letting the water pelt his back. After the long week of stress and tension he’d had, the hot water felt good. It was finally over. The tests were done; he’d passed his classes. Opening night had come and gone without incident, and now, he and Kurt were finally in the process of making up. With his eyes squeezed shut, Blaine barely remembered that Kurt was also under the spray with him until he felt soft hands turning his body to face the falling water. Then, those same hands moved from his hips to his shoulders and began to rub and massage at the knots that had formed during the week. Blaine moaned a little, letting his head fall back against Kurt’s shoulder. Those hands felt amazing.

“Feel good?” Kurt whispered directly into his ear, knowing his breath would tickle his soulmate’s eardrum just a little. He smiled when he got a moan in response. “I’ll take that as a yes, then.” Pulling his hands away, he let them slide around Blaine’s chest to his waist, reaching down and giving his cock a few soft strokes. “Better down here?” he asked when Blaine moaned again, his hips stuttering.

“Yes,” Blaine managed. “Much.”

“Mmm,” Kurt replied, beginning to stroke more firmly. Blaine’s cock was already very hard and red. The tip, had it not been for the shower washing the evidence away, was already leaking, and every stroke of his hand made Blaine whine and wiggle in his grasp. Blaine’s moans were having their own effect on Kurt, and, using his free hand, he pulled his soulmate even closer to his body, letting his own hard cock slip between Blaine’s cheeks. “This okay?” he asked. He wanted to be careful, conscious of Blaine’s lack of experience and comfort with being with another man. However, he didn’t want to leave himself forgotten, and Blaine’s ass was irresistible after all, so cute and round, accentuating the rest of his tiny, compact body.

“Uh-huh,” Blaine panted, enjoying himself too thoroughly to be too worried about being self-conscious. If Kurt’s hand felt this amazing right then, what other things would they do that night that felt even better? The mere thought pushed him even closer to his impending orgasm. “I-I’m close,” he managed to say as Kurt kept up the stroking, flicking his wrist just so when he reached the tip, sending shivers through Blaine’s body each time. He really wasn’t going to last much longer.

“Cum for me, baby,” Kurt whispered into his damp hair, never stopping his movement.

The command shot another wave of ecstasy through Blaine, and it only took a few more pumps of Kurt’s wonderfully firm hand around his cock before he was cumming all over his soulmate’s fist, his release mixing with the water and swirling down to the drain. He leaned heavily against Kurt as he rode out the waves of his orgasm, coming down from his high. He felt better than he had in more than a week, and all it had taken was a few minutes in a hot shower.

“So beautiful,” Kurt murmured, pressing a kiss to Blaine’s cheek. “Let’s get you cleaned up so we can get out and have some more fun.” If Blaine had been watching him, he would have seen Kurt wiggle his eyebrows suggestively before reaching for the body wash.

It would never stop being a rush to experience the sensations of his soulmate’s orgasm through their soulbond. He’d felt it before, of course, every time he’d given Blaine a handjob to help him focus or to express just how much the other boy meant to him. This time, however, was different. The sensations were stronger, more intense. If the situation was different, if he found himself buried in Blaine’s hot, tight ass, Kurt could see how experiencing the ebb and flow of Blaine’s pure ecstasy could put him over the top, make him cum, too. As it was, it took a lot of self-control for him not to grind himself into Blaine’s ass and bring himself to orgasm; it wouldn’t take long. But Blaine wasn’t ready for that. Not yet, at least.

“Wait.” Blaine wrapped his fingers around Kurt’s wrist, stopping him from actually moving the bottle. “Can I--can I return the favor?” He was whispering, unsure yet burning with a desire to make his soulmate feel as wonderful as he’d just felt. In all the time they’d been together, it had always been Kurt giving, never receiving. Blaine had just been too nervous. He’d been afraid he wouldn’t know what to do, that he’d try something and hurt Kurt. He couldn’t have that on his conscience. Something about this moment, though, something about being alone and so intimate after a long week of being apart felt right, and he wanted to give Kurt everything he’d given him.

“Do you want to?” Kurt asked softly, turning him so he could look into his eyes. “You don’t have to,” he reassured him. “I’m not expecting it.”

“Kurt…” He reached up, framing his soulmate’s face with his hands. “I want to. I want to make you feel amazing. You-you always make me feel so good, and I want to give that back to you.”

Something fluttered in Kurt’s chest when Blaine said his name. It felt so...right, so perfect coming out of his mouth, almost as if he’d been saying it forever; maybe he had. It made Kurt feel protected and loved all at once, safe from whatever the outside world might throw at him. In that moment, nothing else mattered besides those bright, hazel eyes staring up at him. “I--” he started, wanting to say something but not knowing exactly what to say. “Okay.”

Again, Blaine turned them so that Kurt was standing under the water, facing him. Delicately, he reached out, rubbing over Kurt’s skin reverently. He really was perfect, this beautiful, pale-skinned boy in front of him. His soulmate. His lover. He'd never imagined this, not the many times he'd allowed himself to dream of what his soulmate could be like, how much he could love him, compliment him. Kurt was better than a fairytale. Better because Blaine's fairytale soulmates had never loved him. They'd been beautiful on the outside, but on the inside, they were just as ugly as the rest of Blaine's world, running away from him at the first sign of trouble or telling him flat out that he didn't deserve to be loved. But in one day, one interaction in the hallway, Kurt had blown all those walls to smithereens. He'd offered to love Blaine from day one, and he was still doing it, right there in the shower. 

Kurt read Blaine's hesitation wrong, stilling his soulmate’s traveling hands and asking, "Are you sure? It's okay if it's too much."

"It's not," Blaine assured him quickly, daring to let his hands travel lower, closer to his target. "I was just thinking about how perfect you are. How perfect you've been to me. I don't deserve it. I don’t deserve you.”

Pressing in closer, Kurt leaned in to press their foreheads together. This was quickly becoming one of his favorite things to do with Blaine. It kept him focused and increased the amount of contact that they had with one another, all things Kurt was learning was important to make the shorter boy understand him. “That’s absolutely not true,” he whispered, winding an arm around Blaine to twist his hand into his hair. “You deserve to be loved, to have a soulmate who loves you. You are important, Blaine. You’re worth it. You deserve to be happy, no matter what anyone else has told you. They were wrong. You deserve to be the center of someone’s world, my world. You are important to me.” He pressed his other hand against Blaine’s chest. “Whatever you feel in here is important. Whatever you send through our soulbond is important.” He reached up to tap lightly at Blaine’s temple. “Whatever you think is important. I always want you to feel like you can talk to me about anything, because you are important to me and what you think, feel, and want matters.” He moved his hand back to Blaine’s heart. “I love you, Blaine Anderson, with all my heart.”

Blaine could feel the tears stinging the backs of his eyes as he looked into his soulmate’s gaze. How had he been so lucky that Fate would give him the perfect guy? “I love you, too, Kurt,” he whispered, his voice barely audible above the pounding of the water. “And, I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving it to you.” Without another thought, he wrapped a hand around Kurt’s cock which had started to soften some by then. He brought it back to life with a few pumps, adding a gentle twist at the head each time he did. He watched as Kurt let his head fall back into the spray, absorbing what little hot water they had left, and Blaine swallowed. He could do this. He had masturbated before; he knew what felt good. He just had to do that to Kurt. He stared at Kurt’s perfect neck, elongated from throwing his head back. Blaine’s cock stirred in interest as he imagined licking along that perfect neck, kissing, sucking a few purple marks beside Kurt’s Adam’s apple. Then, he decided there was no reason not to, and, still pumping, he leaned forward, running his tongue lightly along the curve of Kurt’s neck up to his jaw.

“Ohhhh,” Kurt sighed, moving his head a little further to the side to give Blaine a bit more room. “Oh, my God, Blaine! Mmm…” It was hard to make coherent sentences when all he wanted to do was feel and be in the moment, not think.

Grinning to himself, Blaine licked along the outline of Kurt’s neck a few more times, loving the way it made his soulmate twist and moan. He continued to pump his hand around Kurt’s cock, flicking his wrist and varying his speed and firmness to keep him from cumming too quickly. This time, though, when he reached Kurt’s jaw, he stopped and sucked a bit of skin into his mouth, nibbling at it lightly with his teeth, intent on leaving a red mark.

This wound Kurt up even more, and he could feel his balls beginning to tighten as his orgasm loomed nearer and nearer. “Close,” he panted. “‘M close.”

Blaine didn’t respond, letting go of the skin he’d been sucking and licking lightly over before kissing his way back down Kurt’s neck and over to his Adam’s apple. There, he did the same thing, nipping at a bit of skin before sucking at it, creating another red mark. This time, though, to accentuate his efforts, he sped up his hand, making his grip just a bit tighter to increase the hot friction around Kurt’s cock.

That was all that Kurt could handle; with Blaine’s name like a whisper on his lips, more breath than sound, he came hard, his eyes rolling back in his head as he rode out the waves of pleasure at Blaine’s hands. 

Surprise. That was the only word he could use to describe the sudden sensations that came through their soulbond as Kurt orgasmed. It felt...amazing. Funny, but amazing, and Blaine let his eyes roll closed as he felt what Kurt was feeling. It was almost overwhelming, too much for his sensitive dick that was only showing mild interest in sex again. Still, he kept up his slow movements until he was sure Kurt was finished, and he didn’t stop sucking and nibbling at his neck, happy when Kurt squeaked a little at his continued ministrations.

“You’ve got to give me time to recover,” Kurt mumbled into Blaine’s hair before tipping his chin up to look into his eyes. “That was amazing,” he whispered, kissing him softly. “You were perfect. Thank you.”

Blaine blushed brightly, cuddling close to the taller boy and resting his head against his chest, loving the sound of the deep  _ thump, thump-thump,  _ of Kurt’s heart in his ear. He felt safe, wanted, cared for, loved, all new sensations that he wasn’t sure he ever wanted to live without again. “I wanted to,” he whispered. “For you.”

Kurt pulled his soulmate a little closer, squeezing him for a moment as their soulbond swelled, love gliding back and forth between the two of them. He sighed audibly. This is what he’d always imagined, how he’d always imagined being in love with his soulmate would be. This was perfect. Just then, however, the water shuttered, and ice-cold water began to flow from the showerhead. Kurt shrieked, leaping forward and shoving Blaine with him. “Oh, my God! That’s cold!” he shouted, twisting around and frantically turning the water off. “Oh! Oh my! I guess we have to get out now.”

Giggling, Blaine pushed the shower door open, grabbing two fluffy towels from the rack beside the toilet and passing one to his soulmate. “Here. Warm up,” he instructed, grinning widely at his still-shocked lover.

“So not fair,” Kurt grumped, taking the towel and tossing it over his head. “You got all the good water.”

“Then, come here and let me warm you up,” Blaine replied, his towel already wrapped securely around his waist. He extended a hand to Kurt, waiting until the other boy emerged from his towel before pulling him close and rubbing his hands down the length of his arms. “Feel better?” he asked.

“Always,” Kurt answered, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “Shall we head to bed?”

Blaine nodded, but when Kurt tried to pull him forward by his hand, he resisted, studying the floor hard in an effort to avoid what he wanted to say. It was too embarrassing.

“What is it?” Kurt asked softly, taking a step back to put himself in Blaine’s line of vision. “What’s on your mind?”

“Um,” he answered, biting his bottom lip. “Cou--would you mind...I was wondering if...canyouputonyourCheeriosuniform?”

“What was that?” He was pretty sure he’d heard something about his Cheerios uniform, but there was no way that could be right.

“Can you p-put on your Cheerios, um, uni-uniform?” Blaine stuttered, his face blushing a brilliant color of red. He couldn’t believe he was asking for this. Kurt was never going to let this go. He’d never hear the end of it.

“Only if you’ll put on something special for me,” Kurt answered, no judgment or anger in his voice.

Surprised, Blaine glanced up, wondering what his soulmate could mean. “You want  _ me  _ to wear something? I thought you hated my leather and tank top look.”

“I do  _ not  _ hate it.” Leaning in until he was right in Blaine’s ear, Kurt whispered, “I just don’t want everyone else staring at my perfect soulmate. If I’m being honest, that look  _ does  _ something to me.”

Blaine audibly gulped, still not used to how forward his lover could be. “Um, what do you want me to wear?’ he asked softly.

“Do you remember your first day of Glee Club?” Kurt asked, pulling Blaine forward into their bedroom. His tone was conversational, as if this was the most normal thing in the world for the two of them to be discussing.

Maybe it was, Blaine mused. They were soulmates after all. “Uh, yeah?” he asked, unsure why that was a question. “I sang  _ Don’t Stop Me Now _ .” He plopped down on the bed, still wrapped in his towel, as Kurt prepared to pass it on his way to the closet, his hand slipping from his soulmate’s. 

“Well, fun fact about that day: While you were performing,” Kurt continued, throwing open the closet doors and rooting around at the back, “I was trying not to cum in my pants. You were seriously hot.” He turned, winking at Blaine. “I didn’t even know you were my soulmate yet, but I knew you were the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.”

“Really? I didn’t peg you as someone who’d be into bad boys,” Blaine joked. “Especially not after you went to the store and made me try on all those polos and blazers. I figured you were into preppy boys.”

“I’m not into bad boys,” Kurt answered, stepping back from the closet, a garment bag clutched in his arms. “I’m just into you. And, can you blame me for dressing you in clothes that show off your incredibly sexy body? You look amazing in those polos and blazers.”

“Says you.”

“And, I’m always right,” Kurt said. “Now, get dressed. I’ve got an idea.”

“Yes, sir,” Blaine answered, standing and going to the dresser he’d been given. Kurt had informed him shortly after he moved in that there would be very little room in the closet for his stuff; he  _ needed  _ his closet space, and Blaine would just have to make do with a dresser.

“Don’t forget the hat,” Kurt called to him.

Blaine turned, giving him a mock salute before beginning to dig through his drawer for everything he’d worn that first day in Glee Club. It took him a few minutes to pull the look together, and he discovered that wriggling into those tight leather pants sans underwear was far easier than he’d realized. Finally, when he was satisfied that the tank showed off the edge of his soulmark just right, the hat was placed at the perfect tilt on his head, and his pants were sagged low enough on his hips, he turned to find Kurt already dressed and posed for him, one leg on the bed and the opposite hand on his hip.

Giving one of his signature high kicks as he rounded the bed, Kurt let his eyes roam appreciatively over his soulmate as he approached. “Damn, Anderson,” he breathed. “You sure know how to turn me on.”

Fighting valiantly not to blush, Blaine whispered, “You’re pretty stunning yourself, Hummel.”

“Mmm,” Kurt answered, wrapping his arms around Blaine and pulling him closer. “So what did you want to see me in this for? I’m sure you remember telling me in the locker room that you ‘don’t date Cheerios,’” he said, making air quotes with one hand. “And here we are, about to have sex, and you’re requesting me to wear this.” He gestured vaguely to his uniform, his eyes glued on Blaine’s face, waiting for a response.

“I may have lied,” Blaine admitted softly. “It would appear that I  _ do _ date Cheerios. And, I find you to be sexy as hell in that damn polyester outfit.”

“Oh, I’m so proud of you for knowing what material this is!” Kurt praised, kissing the tip of Blaine’s nose happily. “I’ve taught you so well!”

Blaine grinned. “I do try,” he admitted. “You make me want to try.”

“You’re so damn cute,” Kurt whispered, his lips a hairsbreadth from Blaine’s. “Shall we get started?”

Breathlessly, Blaine nodded. “On the bed?” he asked. He wanted so badly to stare at Kurt’s lips. They were seductive and alluring, but he couldn’t quite see them without growing cross-eyed, so he stared into the perfect blue pools of Kurt’s eyes instead, waiting to see what he would say.

“On the bed,” Kurt replied. He made to move toward it but paused to add, “But we can’t get anything on this uniform. We still have Nationals coming up, and this is dry clean only. If Coach Sue found out that I had it dry cleaned anywhere besides at her precious European dry cleaners, she’d probably kick me off the team and ship me to Tripoli or something.” He chuckled. “So, just make sure to get me out of this before we do anything, okay?”

“Yes, sir,” Blaine breathed.

With that, they fell onto the bed, side by side, attached to one another at the lips. Their makeout session was hot but not too urgent. Each of them was content to take their time, enjoying the feel of their soulmate under their hands. They let things progress naturally, never pushing. Gradually, they began to explore each other’s mouths, working their tongues over teeth, cheeks, lips, and tongues until they were both panting. They’d worked the other’s shirt up their armpits, and when they finally pulled away to catch their breath, they both discarded their shirts.

Kurt, of course, had to hang his up. “I’m sorry,” he said when he caught sight of Blaine’s pouty face. “Coach will actually kill me if I show up on Monday with wrinkles in this. And my other one’s wadded up in my duffel bag.” He shrugged apologetically, hurrying to hang up the garment before rushing back to the bed and flopping on it dramatically. “Now, where were we?”

“Leaving your soulmate sad and horny on the bed all by himself,” Blaine said before he really realized what he’d said. Then, he flushed a bright red, and he clamped a hand over his mouth. “I-I mean--”

Silencing him with a gentle kiss to his cheek, Kurt said, “I love it when you talk fratty.” Grinning at his soulmate, he slowly ran a hand down the invisible line between Blaine’s pecs. “So, if you’re still horny, maybe I could convince you to wriggle your hot ass out of those pants?”

Blaine did not understand how Kurt’s face didn’t turn red whenever he talked like that, but based on the little leap his cock made in his pants, he loved it. “I suppose I could be convinced,” he murmured, staring into Kurt’s absolutely alluring eyes. Honestly, he’d discovered that he would do anything the other boy asked him to. There was something about his soulmate that told him he’d never ask him to do something dangerous or humiliating, even when he was being dominant. Blaine would follow Kurt to the ends of the earth.

“Mmm, so it’s more convincing you need,” Kurt purred, moving closer. Then, he dipped his head and ran his tongue over Blaine’s nipple, making him squirm. “Was that enough convincing?” he asked, looking up at Blaine through his eyelashes.

Everything in Blaine told him to nod, but instead, his brain supplied his lips with the words, “Just a little more.”

Grinning wickedly, Kurt leaned across his body and licked across Blaine’s other nipple, giving it a little suck. Instead of pulling away immediately, though, he blew a gentle, cool breeze across the wet skin, making Blaine shiver and a small moan escape his lips. “Now was it enough?”

“Uh, uh-huh,” Blaine whispered, his eyes closed. How did this boy do what he did to him, making him fall apart at the seams after a few simple flicks of his tongue.

“Perfect,” Kurt replied, reaching for Blaine’s button. “Just let me help you.” And, before Blaine could protest, Kurt had the button undone and the zipper down, his fingertips tucked under the band, ready to help him out of the tight leather.

“Ju-just, um, just hold on a minute,” Blaine stuttered, trying to form words around the incredible force of lust and desire he was feeling. That couldn’t all be from him. Part of it had to be coming through their soulbond from Kurt.

“Everything okay?” Kurt whispered, moving away from his waistband to draw small circles on Blaine’s chest. “Am I moving too fast for you? I’m sorry. I’ll slow down.”

“N-no. It’s not that,” Blaine said. He opened his eyes, making eye contact with his soulmate. He placed a hand gently against his cheek as he peered into his intense gaze. “I was just wondering if we could, uh, if we could kiss a little first.”

A slow smile spread across Kurt’s face. “Of course,” he replied, nuzzling into Blaine’s hand for a second. “Just come get them.”

Blaine couldn’t help it. The word “come,” even though it was intended to mean that, sent a surge to his cock, and he grabbed his soulmate with both hands, pulling him down almost on top of him. Then, without a word, he pressed his lips firmly against Kurt’s.

They kissed again for several minutes, but this time it was less about the kissing and more about the skin-on-skin contact. They’d slept together shirtless before, Blaine snuggled up against Kurt because, as Kurt had learned, the other boy didn’t know any other way to sleep. If he wasn’t wrapped around Kurt, he wasn’t comfortable, and Kurt couldn’t say no to him. However, their bare chests rubbing together felt different now, much more intimate and definitely far sexier. Just the feel of Kurt’s warm, solid presence on top of him was giving Blaine a hard-on that was becoming painful inside his very tight pants. That was, actually, what caused them to stop kissing. Blaine couldn’t stand it any longer; he needed to be free.

“Well, that was easy,” Kurt murmured as he watched his soulmate shimmy out of his pants. “But I’ll definitely take a naked soulmate in my bed any day of the week.”

Grinning, Blaine laid back down next to him. “So would I.”

“Oh, so you want to take my pants off?” Kurt asked, feigning surprise.

“Well, I’d help, but I’d hate for Coach Sue to send you to Tripoli,” Blaine sassed. “It’s best if you take them off yourself, I’m sure.”

Sticking his tongue out at his soulmate, Kurt slid off the bed and slipped out of the rest of his uniform, hanging it carefully on the hanger in his closet. Then, he slipped back onto the bed, snuggling up to Blaine’s side. “You know, you never really told me why you wanted me to wear that uniform,” he commented, nudging Blaine’s side with his elbow.

Blaine sighed dramatically. “Because I think you look hot as fuck in it, and I wanted to touch you while you were wearing it and imagine getting busy with a cheerleader.” He was glad he’d spit it out before he lost his nerve, but now he was worried about what Kurt would think.

“A perfectly logical explanation from a horny teenager,” Kurt observed, laying his head on Blaine’s chest lightly. He allowed his fingers to walk their way down Blaine’s chest and over his stomach to his cock which was erect and leaking just a little. He traced a small circle around the base before sliding a fingertip up Blaine’s length, following the large vein there. “Would you like me to do something about this?” he whispered, catching a droplet of precum on his finger as he spoke. When Blaine hesitated, he added, “Or, I have massage oils. I could give you a massage. I know how tense you were in the shower.”

“Um,” Blaine replied, taking a few deep breaths. He wanted to say it. No, he needed to say it, but it was probably the most difficult thing to ever need to come out of his mouth, like, ever. “I want… I want to go all the way with you, Kurt. Tonight. I-I’ve never wanted something so much in my life. It’s just… I don’t know what I’m doing, and I’m a little scared.”

“You don’t need to be scared,” Kurt replied, moving away from Blaine’s cock to run his hands over his chest again in an effort to help ease his nerves. “Remember, I’ve never had penetrative sex either. But I’ve watched porn, and I’ve read about it. Have you?”

Blaine shook his head. “No. I was afraid of getting caught.”

“Maybe we should wait then,” Kurt suggested. “Work up to it. Sex should be enjoyable for you, honey, not nerve-wracking.”

“But I want to,” Blaine tried to explain. “I’m not scared to do it. I’m just nervous because I don’t know  _ what  _ to do.”

“Well, that all depends on whether you want to bottom or top.”

“I want you to be in charge,” Blaine blurted out. His cheeks flushed hot, and he averted his eyes from Kurt’s. “I-I like it when you lead.”

Kurt nodded. “So, you want to bottom?” he asked, just to be sure.

“Yeah.”

"And, you're sure you want to do this tonight? You're not going to be uncomfortable?"

"I might," Blaine admitted. "But I'm with you, so I know I'm safe."

Kurt felt a rush of love through their soulbond. He wasn't sure if it was coming from him or from Blaine, but it warmed him from the inside out, making him feel more attached to his soulmate than ever before, if that was even possible. "Okay," he said softly. "In the top drawer of my nightstand, there's a bottle of lube. Once you get that, lay on your stomach. It's not quite as intimate that way, but I think it will be easier for us, at least for now."

Blaine nodded. As he reached for Kurt’s nightstand, he focused on taking deep breaths. He wasn’t scared. He really wasn’t. He trusted his soulmate, knew that if what they were doing became too much for him, he could say stop, and Kurt would stop. He wasn’t worried about that. Instead, his mind had immediately jumped to  _ What if I’m not clean? What if I can’t take it, and Kurt never wants to have sex again? What if  _ I  _ never want to have sex again?  _ It was a lot of him to think about, and he knew the instant that Kurt felt the fear and the worry through their soulbond when he felt a gentle hand on his calf, massaging and rubbing soothing circles. He couldn’t have asked for a more perfect soulmate.

With lube in hand, Blaine settled himself on his stomach in the middle of the bed, his erection pressing uncomfortably into the mattress. He wriggled a little, trying to find a better position, but there was nothing that he could do. Finally, he glanced over his shoulder at Kurt, wondering what was going to happen next. 

For a moment, Kurt just stared. They were taking a big step, and even though he had no qualms about putting himself out there for Blaine sexually, he knew that it was a big leap of faith for his soulmate. Having never been with a man before would make the handjobs they’d already done a lot for him, and Kurt knew he would have been happy to cuddle and talk or watch movies with bowls of ice cream until they fell asleep. But Blaine was willing to try, and Kurt was going to do his best to be worthy of that trust.

Leaning down, he kissed gently down Blaine’s spine to the top of his ass. Then, he slowly parted his cheeks, revealing Blaine’s cute little virgin hole to him. It quivered just slightly as Kurt breathed for a moment. Gently, he blew a puff of air across it, watching with a small smile as Blaine wiggled at the sensation. When he stilled, Kurt bent his head and licked a quick stripe over it before blowing again.

Blaine wiggled again, his mind beginning to race. Maybe he wasn’t actually ready for this. “Um, Kurt?” he asked, his voice high.

“Mmm?” Kurt asked, letting go of Blaine’s cheeks.

“M-maybe I’m not-not so ready.” He rolled onto his side and looked apologetically at Kurt. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I thought I could do it, but my brain just won’t turn off and let me enjoy it. I’m--it’s--I--”

“Shhh,” Kurt whispered, moving up the mattress so they were face to face again. “It’s okay. I understand. We don’t have to take that step right now. We have our whole lives ahead of us, Blaine, to play and learn together. Let’s take it slow.”

“You--you’re not mad?”

“No. I could never be mad at you. Not for wanting to take it slow,” Kurt assured him. “We’ll get there someday, and when we do, it will be amazing.”

“You’re amazing,” Blaine breathed, letting a tiny smile take over his face.

Kurt smiled back, leaning in to kiss his soulmate sweetly. When he pulled back, he noticed that Blaine was still hard. “Want me to take care of that?” he asked, letting a hand travel down Blaine’s body to hover near his hip.

“W-would you?”

In response, Kurt wrapped his hand around Blaine’s cock, giving it a few strokes. “Blaine?” he asked, an idea forming in his head. “Do you...want a blowjob?” He tensed, waiting for his soulmate’s answer. After their failed sexual experiment, he wasn’t sure if it was a good idea or not, but it was too late to take it back.

Blaine gulped. “I--um, yes?”

“Is that a question or a statement?” Kurt asked. He wanted to make sure he wasn’t pushing Blaine too far, especially when he could still feel his anxiety through their soulbond.

“Yes,” Blaine said, more confident. “I want that...please.” He whined slightly.

“Lay down on your back,” Kurt instructed softly, sliding down the bed until he could climb between Blaine’s legs. He settled himself on his stomach and, for the first time, breathed in the heady scent of sex. Blaine’s sex. Amazing. Perfect. Leaning in, he traced the vein on the underside of Blaine’s cock with the tip of his tongue, swirling it around the tip before following the vein back down to the base. Then, supporting himself on his elbows, he sunk down on Blaine’s cock, not stopping until his nose was pressed into Blaine’s soft, honey-colored skin, the tip of his cock brushing the back of his throat. He started off slow, sucking lightly and only pulling back a little before sinking back down. If he’d learned anything from the few blowjobs he’d given to his rare flings (always with a condom of course. He wasn’t a barbarian!), he knew that first blowies never took very long. Still, he wanted to draw Blaine’s pleasure out as much as possible, so he took it slow. Blaine’s gasping, panting, and moaning was beautiful anyway, and he wanted it to continue for as long as possible.

Blowjobs were amazing. They felt amazing. Kurt was amazing. Blaine had an amazing life, he decided. In fact, there was nowhere else in the entire world he’d rather be than lying in the middle of the bed he shared with his soulmate, with his soulmate’s mouth around his cock, getting the best blowjob of his entire life. To be fair, it was the  _ only  _ blowjob of his entire life, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t the best. He was doing his best to hold still, but his entire body wanted to thrust up into the exquisite wet heat of his soulmate’s mouth. It took all he had to keep himself relatively flat on the bed, his back only arching a little bit when Kurt suddenly increased the pace, sucking a little harder.

He was going to warn him. He really was. He was going to tell him he was close the second he felt his balls start to clench up. But then his mouth wouldn’t work, at least not to say anything more than moan out Kurt’s name, and before he really knew what was happening, he was cumming down Kurt’s throat in what had to be the hardest orgasm of his life. There were tiny fireworks behind his eyelids, and his entire body felt tense as he rode out the waves of pleasure, body spasming pleasantly as the delightful feeling of being completely happy and sated overtook him.

Kurt smiled to himself when he finally pulled away, happy himself and delighted that his soulmate was happy. He gently peppered the insides of Blaine’s thighs with kisses before moving to lay beside him, pulling him close and kissing him deeply. “I love you,” he whispered against his lips. “So much.”

“I love you, too,” Blaine replied. He pressed a soft kiss against Kurt’s lips then asked in a husky voice, “My turn?”

“Only if you want to,” Kurt answered, placing a hand on Blaine’s chest. “I’m okay. We can just cuddle.”

Shaking his head, Blaine said confidently, “I want to.” He leaned in for a kiss, only giving his soulmate a few on the lips before he began to kiss down his cheek, across his jaw, down his neck and chest to his side, then marking a trail of kisses down his side to his soulmark. He kissed Kurt right on the “B” and the “A” in his soulmark, causing him to collapse into the mattress.

“Mmm… That feels amazing,” Kurt murmured as Blaine continued his kissing. He threw in a few light strokes across the skin with the pad of his thumb. It was a little rough from all the work he’d done on his bike, but it still made Kurt’s skin prickle with a little shiver as it glided across his most sensitive skin. “Doing so good, baby,” he praised, the pet name slipping out. It wasn’t something they’d  tried much yet, but it was natural for him.

Eventually, once he was sure that Kurt had been driven sufficiently crazy, once his soulmate’s cock was hard and leaking, he moved from the tender skin of his soulmark to trace his tongue along the base of Kurt, inhaling his scent. There was something about the smell of boy...pure, sexy, turned-on man...that made Blaine feel like he could almost cum again, just from the scent of his soulmate. He wasn’t going to, though. This was about Kurt, about his soulmate’s pleasure, not his own, and Kurt deserved his full attention. So, following the other boy’s lead, he licked up the shaft, flicked his tongue lightly across the slit, and then ran it back down in a wider swipe to the base of his cock.

“Ohhhhhh, my God,” Kurt managed. “So hot…”

Taking a deep breath, Blaine went down on Kurt, taking as much of him into his mouth as he could. He’d intended to go all the way, but he quickly discovered that that wasn’t going to be possible, not unless he wanted to vomit all over his soulmate, and...how unsexy would that be? He’d have to practice. He tested for a moment, figuring out how far he could go before he began to suck, hollowing his cheeks as he pulled hard up Kurt’s length.

“Gentle at first…”

“What?” Blaine pulled off, looking up at Kurt with confusion on his face.

“Suck gently at first, then harder towards the end. It feels better.”

Blaine blushed. “Sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Kurt said. He reached out a hand, rubbing a thumb down one of his soulmate’s rosy cheeks. “Try again?”

With a nod, Blaine bent back down, taking as much of Kurt as he could into his mouth again. He paused for a moment then, trying to remember what his soulmate had done to him.  _ Slow and gentle _ , Blaine thought.  _ Slow and gentle at first _ . So, he started off slow, barely bobbing his head, sucking lightly and using his tongue to swirl around the tip every so often. He’d heard Puckerman talk about it once…

“So good,” Kurt praised, his eyes shut, head thrown back, and mouth open, panting. “Feels so good, baby. So hot.”

Blaine couldn’t stop the chuckle that bubbled up in his chest. Apparently, Kurt wasn’t much of a wordsmith when he was turned on. That earned him a stuttered moan.

“Ohhhh, my Gooooood…” Blaine’s incredible little tongue tricks mixed with his chuckle brought Kurt close to the edge quickly, and it wasn’t long before he was tapping his soulmate, muttering something that he hoped sounded like, “Blaine, close.” It must have worked, because he felt him pull off with one last hard drag and wrap a hand around his cock, pumping him quickly to keep up the pace he’d set with his mouth. A few moments later, Kurt was cumming all over Blaine’s hand and his own chest and stomach. Best. Orgasm. Ever.

When Kurt was finished, lying flushed and panting on the bed with heavy limbs, Blaine climbed off, going into the bathroom for a warm washcloth. When he came back, he gently cleaned Kurt up, tossing the soiled cloth in the direction of the tiled bathroom floor when he was finished. That probably wasn’t the most responsible thing to do, but he wanted cuddles. Now.

“Mmm… Come here,” Kurt said, opening his arms to Blaine when he felt him moving up the bed again. His soulmate sank into them gratefully, cradling his head against his chest and wrapping a leg around his waist. “You were amazing,” Kurt told him once he was settled. “Incredible, really.”

“Thanks,” Blaine mumbled against his skin. “I’ll get better.”

“It was perfect,” Kurt replied with a kiss to the top of his head.

There was silence for a long time. Then, Blaine whispered, “I think we have to talk now.”

Despite feeling like, yes, they probably really should, Kurt shook his head. “We don’t have to. We can just cuddle. There’s time for talking later. Tomorrow.”

Blaine considered this option. He really didn’t want to talk, but there was a bit of guilt tugging at the back of his mind, and he really felt like he should. So, he said, “I-I think I need to say something now, though.”

“I’m listening.”

“I’m sorry.” Just saying the words made him feel like he might cry, but he surged ahead, determined to get everything off his chest. “I’m sorry about how this week turned out. I spent the whole time pushing you away when all you tried to do was be there for me.” He paused, swallowing back the emotion threatening to clog his throat before saying, "I should have let you in. I knew that. But I've never had someone in my life who's actually cared enough to want to help me, and I kept thinking of all the ways you could hurt me if I let you in. I got scared, Kurt, and I'm so sorry."

"You're forgiven," Kurt whispered, bending to press another kiss to the top of his head. "I know this is hard for you; I know this is different and weird. I want you to know, though, that I'm never going to hurt you. Not intentionally, anyway. I'll never use something you've told me against you or try to use your emotions to manipulate you. I love you, Blaine, and I only want you to be happy."

"I know," he whispered, snuggling even closest. "I love you, too." There were several long moments of silence as Blaine listened to his soulmate’s heartbeat play softly beneath his ear. "Are you really going to Philadelphia?" he asked softly, beginning to worry his bottom lip between his teeth. How would he survive in this tiny town without Kurt to protect him?

"Not without you. I'll defer, enroll somewhere else, I don't know. But I'm not leaving without you."

"I might have to go back to high school," Blaine reminded him. "I might not graduate."

"I know." Kurt rubbed up and down Blaine's arm. "If that happens, we'll figure it out. There's also a chance that you  _ will  _ graduate, though. And then, you can come with me." He paused then asked, "Do you know why I picked Philly?"

"Why?"

"There are a ton of schools there that would be perfect for you! Community colleges and universities if you want to go the traditional route or trade schools. I thought you might want to become a mechanic, work on bikes or own a shop like my dad." He shifted a bit so he could look into Blaine's eyes. "You're smart, sweetheart. One of the smartest people I know. You can do anything you want to do. Anything. And, no matter what it is, I'll support you."

That brought tears to Blaine's eyes, and he wiped them away quickly with the back of his hand. "How did I get so lucky?" he mumbled. "I don--"

"You do," Kurt said, cutting him off. "You do deserve to be loved."

Blaine chuckled, embarrassed, turning his face further into Kurt's chest. "I love you," he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to Kurt's pec. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Kurt answered, squeezing him tightly. "Now, what do you think about watching some  _ Criminal Minds _ ?"


	15. Chapter 15

On a bright, sunny, Sunday afternoon, three weeks after opening night of  _ Grease _ , Burt and Elizabeth pulled up in front of the school. Elizabeth turned around to smile at the two boys in the back seat, both of them dressed in their cap and gowns, ready for graduation. 

They hadn’t been sure until a few days ago that Blaine was actually going to get to graduate, but much to everyone’s relief, Figgins had agreed that Blaine had shown exemplary improvement in his academics; now, he, too, was going to get to leave high school behind him for good. And, when he’d expressed concern about what he’d do with his future, Kurt had eagerly promised him that they’d spend the entire summer filling out applications to any school Blaine might want to go to. “Even if I have to defer for a year or two, I’m going to make sure you have the future you’ve always wanted,” Kurt had promised him.

“But, I don’t want you to--”

“I want to,” Kurt had reassured him. “I want to because I love you.”

And, Blaine had let it go at that.

“I’m so proud of you two,” Elizabeth said as she looked back and forth between their two young faces. “You’ve both worked so hard, and now you’re graduating!” She sniffled, and Burt reached over, patting at her arm.

“We’re both real proud of ya,” Burt agreed. “Both of ya.” He winked at Blaine, making the shorter boy smile.

“Thanks, Mom, Dad!” Kurt said, smiling his own teary smile at them. “I think we have to go, though. They’re doing pictures in the cafeteria before the ceremony starts, and I don’t want to miss them.” He grabbed Blaine’s hand and made to open his door. “Come on, Blaine,” he whispered, sniffling a little.

“Have fun, boys. We’ll see you afterward,” Elizabeth said, watching as her boys climbed out of the car and ran, hand in hand, into the school.

They walked slowly down the corridors of the school on their way to the cafeteria. Kurt kept stopping to look at everything, and each thing he stopped in front of made him tearier than the last. “Look, Blaine! It’s this year’s Nationals trophy for the Cheerios. Oh…” He cut off as if just realizing something. “I’m never going have another Cheerios practice… I’m never going to hear Coach Sue call us a “bunch of lazy babies” again! And, my friends…” He sniffled loudly, wiping at his eyes. Then, he took Blaine’s proffered hand, walking slowly until the next thing caught his eye. “Blaine, look! It’s the winning trophy from this year’s Glee Nationals! You were so amazing! But..we’ll never have Glee practice again together.” When he caught sight of Blaine’s face, looking at him like he was crazy for carrying on like this, Kurt chuckled wetly. “I’m a mess, aren’t I?”

“I think it’s cute,” Blaine admitted. 

“You won’t when I show you this,” Kurt said, dragging Blaine further down the hallway. They stopped in front of a random locker, and Kurt turned, grabbing his soulmate’s hands, excitement on his face. He took a deep breath. “Promise you won’t judge me?” he asked.

“I promise.”

Kurt opened the locker and stepped back so Blaine could move closer and see inside. “I wanted to make a time capsule of our time at McKinley,” he said. “I know it’s stupid, but when I’m rich and famous, I wanted to have something to come back to and show the reporters.”

“It’s not stupid,” Blaine said, his eyes raking over everything inside. “It’s really, really sweet. The paparazzi will eat it up.”

“I have a program from our Nationals competition together, and I have one from  _ Grease _ ,” Kurt told him, running his fingertips delicately over each item as he mentioned it. “There’s the ridiculous, mostly empty jar of pomade that Mercedes insisted that I wear in my hair for the show. Oh, and here’s one of your black tank tops and your hat from your first Glee performance.” He smiled at Blaine, his heart going soft at the gentle, awed look on Blaine’s face. “I included my favorite picture of you, a couple of Brittney, Santana, Quinn, and me in our Cheerios uniforms, and one of us on our last day of Glee Club together,” he added, swallowing back another lump of emotion in his throat. 

Blaine didn’t follow suit. In fact, when Kurt pointed out their picture from Glee Club, he burst out in what sounded like a chuckle, but there were tears welling up in his eyes.

“Why are you crying and laughing at the same time?” Kurt asked softly, placing a gentle hand on his soulmate’s shoulder.

“Because you’re the only person I know who would do something like this, Kurt,” Blaine replied, still laugh-crying. “You’re the only one, the only one who would want to remember  _ me _ coming into your life, the only one who would want to remember spending time with me.” He stepped forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Kurt’s middle and murmuring, “And, that’s why I love you so much.” He pressed a quick, soft kiss to the underside of Kurt’s jaw, hugging the taller boy close.

“I love you, too,” Kurt whispered, kissing Blaine’s perfectly gelled hair before hugging him back, rocking him back and forth in his arms. They stood like that in the hallway for several minutes, both of them enjoying the few moments of silence before they needed to join their classmates. Eventually, Kurt pulled back. “I think we need to go now,” he said. “I really don’t want to miss pictures.”

“Not yet,” Blaine answered, stepping back to put a bit of space between himself and his soulmate. “I need to do something first.”

Kurt furrowed his brow. “What’s that? You passed all your classes, and you already cleaned out your locker. What more could you--?”

Blaine held up a hand. “Just...hear me out,” he said, smiling when Kurt closed his mouth and stood, looking at him and waiting. “This year, if I’ve learned anything at all, I’ve learned that I should be thankful for what I have, especially when Fate has given me someone as amazing, kind, and wonderful as you.” He smiled at Kurt, happy to see the sentiment reflected back in his soulmate’s eyes. “And, in an effort to be thankful for the amazing and wonderful soulmate that I found this year, I got you this.” Reaching deep into the pocket of his red graduation gown, he pulled out a small, red jewelry box. “I know that, after  _ Grease _ , our relationship really reached a new level, so--”

Butting in, Kurt said quickly, his eyes growing wide, “If that’s an engagement ring, my answer is yes.”

Letting out a soft chuckle, Blaine extended it toward him. “Kurt, just open the box.”

His eyes still wide with wonder and excitement, Kurt carefully took the little box from his soulmate, gazing down at the large golden bow that Blaine had affixed to the top of it. He took in a soft, shaky breath before pushing the top up to reveal the item inside.

It was a ring, a small ring made of gum wrappers, with a small red and black checked bowtie with a gold center knot in the middle, meant to be worn on top of the finger. Kurt gasped, and a million questions flooded his brain. Before he could ask any of them, however, Blaine began to talk.

“It’s a promise ring,” he said. “I-I made it out of gum wrappers. Juicy Fruit. You told me once that that’s your favorite.”

Kurt nodded, feeling his eyes start to go misty again. “It is,” he whispered. “Wrigleys.” He sighed, staring at the ring, afraid to take it out of the box even though he was desperate to put it on and show it off to everyone he could find. “Is that a bowtie?” he asked, knowing full well that it was.

Blaine nodded, proud of himself. “It looks just like the very first one you bought me, right after I moved in. You told me that bowties would make me look dapper and dashing.” He giggled, remembering that conversation like it had just happened yesterday.

“And, I was right,” Kurt answered, smiling at him. “Like always. But… what are you promising?”

“To always love you. To defend you, even if I know you’re wrong. To surprise you. To always pick up your phone call, no matter what I’m doing. To bake you cookies, at least twice a year. And, to kiss you wherever and whenever you want.” As he spoke, he moved closer, reaching a hand out to lightly run his fingers over the slick material of the graduation gown sweeping gracefully over his soulmate’s shoulder. “But mostly, to make sure you remember how perfectly imperfect you are.” He smiled, studying Kurt’s face, the nerves he’d been wrestling with all day surging to the surface.  _ What if I put myself out there, and Kurt doesn’t like it?  _ he wondered to himself.

Fighting back tears, Kurt smiled, his eyes flicking to Blaine’s then down to the beautiful ring in the tiny red box, still sitting between his trembling fingers.

“Basically,” Blaine went on, whispering so softly that Kurt had to lean in a little closer to catch what he was saying, “to be the soulmate you’ve always wanted, the one you deserve.”

“You are exactly what I’ve always wanted,” Kurt said, his voice deep and husky. He still couldn’t meet Blaine’s eyes. If he looked into them, into those earnest, hazel pools of light, he was going to break down, and they did not have time for that.

The beginnings of a small grin tugged at Blaine’s face, and he added, “Now, I know it’s not as fancy as something you’d buy in a store, but I think--”

“I love it,” Kurt interrupted him, throwing his arms around Blaine’s neck and squeezing him hard. “I love it, and I love you.”

Blaine hugged back, happy that Kurt was happy. “There was one thing I wanted to ask you,” he said into his soulmate’s ear.

“What’s that?” Kurt asked, stepping back to study his face and feeling the nervousness through their soulbond.

“I-I was wo-wondering if, well, if you’d be my b-boyfriend. I know we’re soulmates, bu--”

“Of course I will!” Kurt insisted. “Yes. I’ll be your boyfriend.”

This time, Blaine couldn’t resist pulling his soulmate, his  _ boyfriend _ \--who would have thought he’d ever be saying that--in for a kiss, pressing close to his soulmate’s body, tasting the freshness of his mouthwash on his breath. When they pulled back, both of them panting a bit, Blaine grinned widely. “For my first act as your boyfriend, I’d like to sing you a song,” he said, reaching into his pocket for his phone.

“A song? Blaine, we really don’t have time for--”

“Who cares about the damn pictures?” Blaine asked, pressing play on his phone, setting it on the shelf in Kurt’s time capsule locker, and taking a few large steps back. “When we’re old and gray, I want us to remember this moment, not some stupid fucking senior pictures with kids I couldn’t give two shits about.”

“We really have to work on your language,” Kurt giggled as the first strains of the song came out Blaine’s phone speakers. Blaine had a tendency to fall back on curse words when he was feeling particularly passionate about something and-- Reality hit him, and he stopped thinking, his eyes trained on Blaine when he realized what song was playing.

“I know this won’t be as amazing as your Cheerios national performance, but…”   
  
“ _ I've heard it said _ _   
_ _ That people come into our lives _ _   
_ _ For a reason _ _   
_ _ Bringing something we must learn _ _   
_ _ And we are led to those _ _   
_ _ Who help us most to grow if we let them _ _   
_ _ And we help them in return _ _   
_ _ Well, I don't know if I believe that's true _ _   
_ _ But I know I'm who I am today _ _   
_ _ Because I knew you _

_ Like a comet pulled from orbit _ _   
_ _ As it passes the sun _ _   
_ _ Like a stream that meets a boulder _ _   
_ _ Halfway through the wood _ _   
_ _ Who can say if I've been changed for the better _ _   
_ _ But because I knew you _ _   
_ _ I have been changed for good _ ”

Kurt could no longer hold back the tears in his eyes. Did Blaine know? Did he know that was the song he’d been listening to in the library that morning when he’d harassed Artie, the morning before he’d finally confronted him about their soulmarks in the locker room? He’d been sure that day that being attached to Blaine Anderson for a lifetime was a death sentence. How things had changed in just a few short months.

He hadn’t planned on singing; he was just going to stand there and watch Blaine perform. His boyfriend was beautiful when he was performing, completely confident and within his element. But when Blaine bowed with a small flourish toward Kurt, he found himself opening his mouth, the next verse falling out with ease.   
  
“ _ It well may be _ _   
_ _ That we will never meet again _ _   
_ _ In this lifetime _ _   
_ _ So, let me say before we part _ _   
_ _ So much of me _ _   
_ _ Is made of what I learned from you _ _   
_ _ You'll be with me _ _   
_ _ Like a handprint on my heart _ _   
_ _ And now whatever way our stories end _ _   
_ _ I know you have rewritten mine _ _   
_ _ By being my friend _

_ Like a ship blown from its mooring _ _   
_ _ By a wind off the sea _ _   
_ _ Like a seed dropped by a sky bird _ _   
_ _ In a distant wood _ _   
_ _ Who can say if I've been changed for the better _ _   
_ _ But because I knew you _ ”

“ _ Because I knew you… _ ” Blaine placed his hands on Kurt’s hips, and Kurt wound his arms around Blaine’s neck. Then, they began to slow dance together, foreheads pressed together as they sang to the end of the song. 

“ _ I have been changed for good _ _   
_ _ And just to clear the air _ _   
_ _ I ask forgiveness _ _   
_ _ For the things I've done, you blame me for _

_ But then I guess _ _   
_ _ We know there's blame to share _ _   
_ _ And none of it seems to matter anymore _

_ Like a comet pulled from orbit (like a ship blown from its mooring) _ _   
_ _ As it passes the sun (by a wind off the sea) _ _   
_ _ Like a stream that meets a boulder (like a seed dropped by a bird) _ _   
_ _ Halfway through the wood (in the wood) _ _   
_ _ Who can say if I've been changed for the better _ _   
_ _ I do believe I have been changed for the better _

_ And because I knew you _

_ Because I knew you _

_ Because I knew you _ _   
_ _ I have been changed _ _   
_ _ For good _ ”

Their voices mixed like peanut butter and honey, filling the hallway with beautiful, clear sound that the boys lost themselves in as they danced together, swaying, bodies pressed close. After the last notes had fallen from their lips, they met in a deep kiss full of passion and love. It wasn’t heated or rushed, just a display of the love coursing like a river through their soulbond. It was sweet and tender, and…

“Woah, you guys. I knew you were soulmates, but damn!” Artie called suddenly, breaking the magic of the moment.

The boys whipped their heads up to see Artie and the rest of the Glee Club seniors crowded around him a few feet away. Their cheeks instantly colored, and Kurt hurried to shut his time capsule, nabbing Blaine’s phone and his ring from the shelf where they’d been laid as they danced together.

“I didn’t realize we had an audience,” Blaine mumbled from behind him. Then, so the rest of the group could hear, he asked, “What the fuck do you guys want?”

“We’re ready to take the Glee Club picture, but you weren’t there!” Brittany said. “I told Tana our picture wouldn’t look right without our Glee Club unicorns.”

Blaine raised an eyebrow, giving Kurt a questioning look.

The taller boy waved it off. “We’re coming now,” he said, grabbing hold of Blaine’s hand and beginning to lead him toward the group.

“Finn,” Rachel whined from somewhere toward the back of the group, “why don’t you ever plan adorable songs like that for me? Do you not think I’m worth it? I mean, I--”

“SHUT UP, RACHEL!” the entire group shouted.

Kurt squeezed his boyfriend’s hand as they followed everyone to the cafeteria. “You ready for this?” he asked, smiling when Blaine looked up at him.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” he replied with a shrug.

“I love you, you know.” Kurt wriggled his left ring finger where he’d slipped on the gum wrapper promise ring at some point.

Blaine grinned at that. “I love you, too.”

***

Eighty-four years later, in the darkness of his nursing home room, Kurt was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling, remembering. Blaine had been gone for almost two weeks, and for Kurt, it felt as if every day was longer than the last. There was an icy feeling in his heart that had replaced the warmth of his soulbond the instant Blaine took his last breath, and the only thing that made it better was to remember. So, Kurt spent much of his time lost in thought, remembering.

Their kids had come with their soulmates and their children to visit him every day since Blaine’s death, and there had been whisperings that he wasn’t going to last much longer. That wasn’t uncommon for soulmates, especially those that had been together since the beginning. His kids thought he didn’t hear, but Kurt could hear everything they said. He just didn’t care. He was too busy remembering.

His favorite thing to remember was that moment in the hallway, right before graduation, where Blaine had sung to him, pulling him close and dancing with him as if he was the only thing in the entire world that mattered. He liked to remember other things, too: their wedding, the births of their children, the many years of smiles and laughter and singing they’d shared. There was just something about the intimacy of that moment that made it stand out the most to Kurt’s old, tired mind. That’s what he was remembering that night, wishing again for the millionth time that Blaine could be there to wrap his arms around him, pull him close, and whisper his love for him into his ear. 

As he lay there in the dark, tears leaking down his cheeks as he imagined them in that hallway again, young and in love, he felt something warm in his right hand. “Blaine?” he croaked, glancing to the side. He couldn’t see anything through the blackness. Then, he felt someone brush away the hair from his ear. After that, there was soft, gentle breathing followed by Blaine’s honey-smooth voice.

“Come dance with me…”

Instantly, Kurt felt lighter, better than he had in years, and he stood with ease, gliding across the floor in the direction of a dim light and the sound of his husband’s voice.

“Kurt,” Blaine’s voice whispered again. “Kurt, let’s dance.”

Then, mercifully, Kurt felt his husband’s arms slide around his waist, and he let his eyes fall close as he breathed in the familiar scent of his husband and felt the familiar warmth of their soulbond restored. “I’d love to dance with you,” he breathed.

Just like that, they were twirling across the floor again. Though he couldn’t see, as they danced, something about this felt familiar to Kurt. An image of himself and Blaine in a gray room popped into his head. He felt he might have seen that gray expanse somewhere before. As the memory of the place became coherent, he couldn’t help but hope that in their next life, they could love even longer than in this one. While he was thinking this, Blaine was singing to him, softly but as sweetly as ever…    
  
“ _ So much of me _ _   
_ _ Is made from what I learned from you _ _   
_ _ You’ll be with me _ _   
_ _ Like a handprint on my heart _ ”

Kurt joined him, adding in the next few lines.   
  
“ _ And now whatever way our stories end _ _   
_ _ I know you have rewritten mine _ _   
_ _ By being my friend… _ ”

Their voices rose, filling the space around them as they continued to dance together, pressed together, clutching at one another, afraid to lose grip and lose one another again.

  
“ _ Because I knew you _ _   
_ _ I have been changed _ _   
_ __ For good… ”

“Kurt,” Blaine breathed, his lips against his soulmate’s cheek, “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too,” Kurt whispered, finally letting his eyes open. He and Blaine were standing hand in hand in a vast, gray expanse. There was a glowing ray of light surrounding them, sparkling and flickering as they stood, still pressed together. In the distance, Kurt could see a tall, lanky figure standing behind a podium. All of a sudden, he remembered everything, each life he’d had before, and his heart swelled with love for his soulmate. Bending, he kissed Blaine’s lips gently. “Are you ready for our next adventure, love?” he whispered without pulling away.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Blaine replied.

“I love you, you know,” Kurt said, stepping back and taking Blaine’s hand.

“I love you, too,” Blaine told him, and together, they walked toward the figure behind the podium and his book from which they’d choose their next adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or the characters. I did borrow dialogue and ideas from canon, and I do not own those sections of this chapter.


End file.
